MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama right-handed pitcher Ben Taylor was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the seventh round of the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday.
Taylor was the 201st overall pick and the sixth pick of the seventh round. He was Boston’s sixth selection of the draft and the second pitcher the Red Sox chose.
Ben Taylor’s Senior Season
Taylor earned first-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors as a relief pitcher this spring. In 25 relief appearances, he went 6-3 with a 1.48 earned run average and seven saves, striking out 68 batters and walking 13 in 42 2/3 innings.
Against Sun Belt opponents, Taylor was 4-2 with three saves and a 1.12 ERA in 13 appearances, with 44 strikeouts and six walks in 24 innings. He finished the season fifth in the conference in saves and tied for fifth in wins.
Taylor was part of a South Alabama pitching staff that led the Sun Belt with a 3.22 team ERA and a conference-high 474 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .242 batting average.
Taylor on Joining Boston
“It’s unbelievable,” Taylor said. “It’s been a dream of mine to play professional baseball my entire life. I can’t put into words what it’s like to now have the opportunity.”
Taylor said he looks forward to joining an organization with the Red Sox’s history. “It’s crazy to think that I will be putting on the same uniform that so many other greats have through the years,” he said.
Taylor moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen during his two seasons at South Alabama and said he does not yet know what role Boston has planned for him, noting that he could return to starting.
“During my time at USA, I had a change in mentality that made me a better pitcher,” Taylor said. “I have become more ferocious on the mound with more of a bulldog mentality.” He credited head coach Mark Calvi and Bob Keller with helping him develop.
Softball Ranked No. 23 in Final Poll
The South Alabama softball team finished the season ranked No. 23 in the final USA Today/NFCA coaches poll and No. 28 in the RPI. Florida won its second consecutive national championship, defeating Michigan twice in the best-of-three championship series.
Rathburn Transfers to Missouri
Sophomore Chloe Rathburn, who helped South Alabama win the Sun Belt Conference championship this season, has transferred to Missouri of the Southeastern Conference. Rathburn was granted her release after the season and told the USA Vanguard student newspaper that she wanted to play closer to home. Her move to Missouri was announced on social media and reported last week by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
A catcher and infielder who regularly served as South Alabama’s designated player, Rathburn batted .371 with a school-record 53 RBIs as the Jaguars went 40-13 in the regular season. She earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors in each of the past two seasons.
Rathburn will be eligible to play for Missouri in 2016 with two years of eligibility remaining. The Tigers finished 42-16 this season, ending their year with a loss to UCLA in the NCAA super regionals.
