MLB Draft: Wright State outfielder, Miami pitcher, Shawnee, Badin grads among locals selected

Sayre, a third-year outfielder from Dover, Ohio, hit .358 with 18 doubles, one triple, 10 homers, 54 RBI, and 63 runs scored last season. He’s the 17th Wright State player picked in the last eight drafts.

There were three other players with local connections taken on the second and third days of the draft:

• The Minnesota Twins drafted Shawnee High School graduate Ben Ross, a 6-foot-1 shortstop from Mount Notre Dame College, in the fifth round on Monday. He was the 144th player selected.

Ross led Notre Dame College in batting average (.392), OPS (1.199), slugging percentage (.747), on base percentage (.452), hits (73), doubles (20), triples (2), home runs (14), RBIs (60), total bases (139) and runs scored (53) last season.

* Miami RedHawks pitcher Jonathan Brand was drafted in the eighth round Monday by the Boston Red Sox with the 249th overall pick.

Brand, of Columbus, Ga., was 8-2 as a senior with a 1.40 ERA, the third-best mark in the nation. He was a first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection and was named a second-team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings.

• Badin High School graduate Spencer Giesting, who has pitched the last two seasons at Charlotte, was drafted in the 11th round with the 318th overall pick Tuesday by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Giesting was 7-4 with a 3.72 ERA last season in 21 appearances. He made six starts.