Virginia's Jeff Kamrath Becomes Fourth Cavalier Selected In 2004 MLB First-Year Player Draft By Cleveland Indians In 36th Round

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June 8, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – University of Virginia baseball player Jeff Kamrath (Houston, Texas/Kinkaid) became the fourth UVa player selected in the 2004 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft when he was chosen in the 36th round as the 1067th pick overall by the Cleveland Indians. Kamrath joins the trio of Andrew Dobies, Joe Koshansky and Mark Reynolds as Cavaliers that have been chosen in this year’s draft. Dobies was selected in the third round as the 95th pick by the Boston Red Sox, Koshansky was taken in the sixth round as the 170th pick by the Colorado Rockies and Reynolds was picked in the 16th round as the 476th choice by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

With his selection in the draft, Kamrath became the 58th total selection and the 54th player from UVa selected in the MLB Draft. He is also the 36th player from Virginia to be chosen in the draft over the last 16 seasons (since 1989). With Kamrath’s selection, it marks the first time since the 1997 MLB Draft that four UVa players were selected in the same draft.

Kamrath sat out the 2004 season after recovering from an injury. He pitched in the 2001, 2002 and 2003 seasons and developed into one of the Cavaliers’ top starters in the weekend rotation. For his career, Kamrath has started 22 of the 37 games he has appeared in and posted a record of 11-7 through 162.0 innings. He has a three-year career ERA of 3.61 and has struck out 125 batters through three seasons. Kamrath has thrown three complete games and has posted two shutouts while picking up one save.

In 2003, Kamrath was named the ACC Pitcher of the Week on April 1st. In his last appearance on the mound for UVa (on March 28, 2003), Kamrath pitched his second complete game shutout of the year by pitching 9.0 scoreless innings and allowed only four hits while striking out a game-high eleven batters in Virginia’s 6-0 win against Maryland. It was his second consecutive complete game shutout against Maryland after also shutting out the Terrapins on April 5, 2002 in College Park, Md.

Kamrath posted his best collegiate season in 2003. He started all six games he appeared in and turned in a record of 3-1 with a 2.72 ERA after tossing 39.2 innings. He struck out 44 batters and pitched one complete game and one shutout.

In 2002, Kamrath was named Second Team All-ACC and was selected the ACC Co-Player of the Week on April 26th after guiding Virginia to a 5-1 complete game victory over #10 Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Ga. In that contest, he allowed only one run on three hits and struck out three batters. The victory marked the first time UVa defeated Georgia Tech in Atlanta in 14 years, breaking Virginia’s 18-game losing streak to the Yellow Jackets at Russ Chandler Stadium. The win also dealt Georgia Tech its first home loss of the 2002 season and snapped the Yellow Jackets’ 27-game home winning streak which dated back to the 2001 season.

In 2001, Kamrath displayed his versatility by also logging playing time at third base. He recorded four hits (including one double), scored two runs and had one RBI in limited action as a position player.

Virginia Players in the Major League Draft

Year	Player, Position	Round, MLB Organization1966	Edward Turnbull, LHP	17th (Baltimore Orioles)1970	Steve Miller, C	3rd (Boston Red Sox)1971	Mike Cubbage, SS/2B 	2nd (Washington Senators)1972	Bill Hall, 2B	6th (San Diego Padres)1976	Anthony Zentgraf, 3B	17th (Baltimore Orioles)1978	Columbus Duncan, 1B	11th (Milwaukee Brewers)1979	Paul Voigt, RHP	9th (Minnesota Twins)1980	Rickey Horton, LHP 	4th (St. Louis Cardinals)1982	David Hopkins, RHP	14th (Texas Rangers)1983	Tony Latham, OF	4th (Boston Red Sox)1983	Glenn Harris, 1B	21st (St. Louis Cardinals)1983	George Priftis, 2B	26th (Seattle Mariners)1985	Tim Burcham, RHP	6th (California Angels)1986	Bill Narleski, SS	18th (Baltimore Orioles)1986	Bob Malloy, RHP 	19th (Texas Rangers)1988	Tom Crowley, 2B	38th (Philadelphia Phillies)1989	Keith Seiler, LHP	18th (New York Yankees)1989	Chris Kughn, OF	25th (Atlanta Braves)1990	Doug Johns, LHP 	16th (Oakland Athletics)1990	Keith Seiler, LHP	21st (New York Yankees)1991	Todd Fiegel, LHP	11th  (New York Mets)1991	Todd Ruyak, LHP	17th (Detroit Tigers)1992	Frank Lankford, RHP	18th (St. Louis Cardinals)1992	Todd Ruyak, LHP	31st (Cincinnati Reds)1992	John Cappelmann, RHP	45th (St. Louis Cardinals)1992	Kevin Stock, LHP	48th (Seattle Mariners)1993	Seth Greisinger, RHP 	7th (Cleveland Indians)1993	Frank Lankford, RHP	16th (New York Yankees)1993	Adam Robinson, SS	30th (Chicago Cubs)1993	Deron Dowhower, RHP	34th (Minnesota Twins)1993	Jason Cook, SS	55th (Seattle Mariners)1994	Brian Buchanan, OF	1st (New York Yankees)1994	Yates Hall, RHP	4th (St. Louis Cardinals)1994	Pat Daneker, RHP	40th (Boston Red Sox)1994	Reid Beucler, RHP	65th (Detroit Tigers)1995	Casey Crawford, 1B	16th (Atlanta Braves)1996	Seth Greisinger, RHP 	1st (Detroit Tigers)1996	Jason Sekany, RHP	2nd (Boston Red Sox)1996	Adam Robinson, SS	52nd (Minnesota Twins)1997	Greg Withelder, LHP	3rd (Minnesota Twins)1997	Pat Daneker, RHP	5th (Chicago White Sox)1997	Adam Robinson, SS	12th (Oakland Athletics)1997	Geoff Zawatski, RHP	14th (Philadelphia Phillies)1998	Javier Lopez, LHP	4th (Arizona Diamondbacks)1999	Julian Gonzalez, OF	36th (Kansas City Royals)2000	Jon Metzger, LHP	13th (Kansas City Royals)2000	Tim LaVigne, RHP/SS	32nd (New York Mets)2000	Kevin Shrout, RHP	43rd (Milwaukee Brewers)2001	Jon Benick, INF	9th (San Diego Padres)2001	Hunter Wyant, SS	16th (Florida Marlins)2002	Robert Word, 1B	10th (Florida Marlins)2002	Dan Street, INF	20th (Colorado Rockies)2002	David Stone, OF	36th (San Francisco Giants)2002	Chris Sweet, OF	37th (San Francisco Giants)2004	Andrew Dobies, LHP	3rd (Boston Red Sox, 95th pick)2004	Joe Koshansky, LHP/1B	6th (Colorado Rockies, 170th pick)2004	Mark Reynolds, SS	16th (Arizona Diamondbacks, 476th pick)2004	Jeff Kamrath, RHP	36th (Cleveland Indians, 1067th pick)

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