Former Whitefield Student Drafted by the Seattle Mariners

As a child, Kenny Straus always dreamed about being a Major League ball player.

Last week, he took a giant step to achieving that lofty ambition.

Straus, a former Whitefield Academy student, was one of three Georgia State University players to be selected in the Major League Baseball draft.

Now, instead of a summer break, he’s on his way to Virginia to join the Pulaski Mariners, Seattle’s Rookie League affiliate.

“This is very exciting,” said Straus, the same day he was scheduled to sign his first professional contract. “I’m pursuing my dream.”

Getting to Seattle, however, remains a long shot. As a 26^th-round draft pick, Straus must show enough talent to ascend the highly competitive Minor League structure.

“It doesn’t worry me because God’s got a plan for me,” he said. “But I definitely have a work ethic and ability to get there.”

Certainly, Straus’s ability has never been questioned.  After a standout high school career, he moved on to Duke University for a year before transferring to Georgia Perimeter College.

As a Jaguar, Straus finished with a .350 average, six homers and 39 RBIs and, despite an injury layoff, led all three batting categories.

Those numbers prompted a move to Georgia State, where he was seen as a core component of coach Greg Frady’s plans for next season.

And while being somewhat disappointed with a star player’s departure, Frady said he understands the decision.

“We’re going to miss him, he had a lot of qualities, and any time you lose players like Kenny it’s a setback,” said the coach. “But at the end of the day, each player has to decide what’s right for them. He’s really interested in pursuing his dream.”

But that dream took all day to start materializing for Strauss. He started the draft glued to his computer, anxiously waiting for his name to be called. Hours went by with no news. So he went for switched to watching TV for a while.

“Then a friend texted: CONGRATS!” said Strauss. “I was like, ‘Sweet,’ and sure enough, the Mariners called a few minutes later.”

Although Straus was drafted, he was a late-round pick and has a long uphill road to climb to the Majors. If his first attempt to break into the pros falls short, according to school officials, can play Georgia State next spring and has two years of NCAA eligibility.