3 University of Hartford Players Chosen in MLB Draft

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Just four days after the big league debut of former University of Hartford pitcher Sean Newcomb, three Hawks were selected on the third day of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft Wednesday.

Catcher Erik Ostberg was taken by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 13th round (No. 379 overall), shortstop Ben Bengtson went to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 23rd round (No. 688) and first baseman David MacKinnon was selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the 32nd round (No. 955).

Ostberg, who recently completed his junior season with the Hawks, knew the Rays were interested prior to the start of the draft’s third day, which began with the 11th round, but he didn’t know when – or if – Tampa Bay would select him.

“The Rays had called me in the morning and I had already agreed on a deal, so it was kind of just a matter of where they would take me,” Ostberg said. “I thought I might get a call before the pick but I was sitting there watching the feed (on MLB.com), I heard them take me and that was it. I’m so excited. I haven’t wanted anything more than this my whole life.”

Through the first six weeks of the 2017 season, Ostberg led the nation in batting average (.500), on-base percentage (.596) and OPS (1.456), before suffering a Grade 2 strain of the PCL in his right knee. Though he didn’t require surgery, the injury cost him the remainder of his junior season with the Hawks.

Ostberg, a Florence, Mass. native, is the second-highest position player ever to be selected out of Hartford, trailing only Jeff Bagwell, a fourth-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in 1989 who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame next month after an outstanding 15-year career with the Houston Astros.

Bengtson, a junior from Concord, N.H., ranked fourth on the team with a .323 average this season and finished second with 36 RBI. He recorded 54 hits, including seven doubles, two triples and five home runs. He was named to the America East All-Conference first team for the second straight year in 2017, and was an All-Rookie pick in 2015. He was also named to the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association All-New England first team this past year.

MacKinnon, from Easton, Mass., was selected as the 2016 America East Baseball Player of the Year, the 2016 America East Male Athlete of the Year and the 2015-16 Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He also earned all-conference recognition during each of his four seasons with the baseball program, including All-Conference first team honors as a junior and senior. He finished his career as the program's all-time leader in hits (269), runs (155) and putouts (1,508), ranks second in team history in games played (196), at-bats (750), doubles (51) and fielding percentage (.990) and ranks among the all-time top five in total bases (343; third), walks (82; fifth) and batting average (.359; fifth).

The university has now had 17 players drafted in program history, including seven in head coach Justin Blood’s tenure.

“It's a great sign for our program to have guys selected in the draft,” Blood said. “It shows that we have skilled players and that we can develop talent here at Hartford. To have your name called in the draft is something that many young men work towards and dream about. I'm really proud of and happy for these guys.”

Photos courtesy of University of Hartford