June 7, 2011
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - Junior shortstop Adam McConnell was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday in the 30th-round (914th pick) of the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. McConnell is the second Spider drafted in as many seasons.
McConnell, who was drafted although missing his entire junior season with an upper-leg injury, becomes the first Spider junior taken in the draft since Joe Mahoney by the Orioles in 2007. Richmond's two most recent draftees - pitchers Alex Hale (2008) and Ian Marshall (2010) - were seniors.
McConnell has not yet announced if he will sign, and after redshirting this season, he has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
The speedy McConnell has swiped 52 bases in his college career, ranking ninth on the Spiders' all-time list and needing just 14 more to reach fourth place. An A-10 All-Rookie pick and a Freshman All-America in 2009, the Yorktown, Va. native owns a .320 career average with 18 doubles, 41 RBI and owns a .397 on-base percentage in 97 career games.
His 23 strikeouts in 2010 were the fewest among Richmond's everyday starters.
Out of Tabb High School in Yorktown, McConnell was one of the state's top prep prospects, being named the Daily Press Player of the Year and the District Player of the Year as a senior.
Since 1995, McConnell is the 33rd Spider to be drafted, but the first by the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.
Richmond finished the 2011 season 29-27-2, reaching the A-10 Tournament for the first time since 2007 and advancing to the A-10 championship game before falling to regular-season champion Charlotte.
