Murray Reflects on Astros Draft, Prepared for Championship Game

Westfield senior catcher A.J. Murray dreams of playing professional baseball some day.

On Wednesday during the third day of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft, the to select him in the 48^th round as the 1,450^th pick overall.

“It’s a big honor to be drafted and the Astros have great tradition and are a great organization,” said Murray, who last week was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in New Jersey.

Murray, 18, was at home when told of the news by his father at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. He was just about to head to his team’s first practice before Saturday’s big Group 4 state championship game against Manalapan.

“My first reaction was that I was kind of surprised because it was the third day of the draft,” said Murray, who will attend Georgia Tech University on a baseball scholarship. “After the first two days of the draft I lost focus and began to look forward to Saturday.”

Because of Westfield reaching its first-ever state championship game, Murray speaking more in depth with the Astros will have to wait until next week.

“It feels great to be considered one of their prospects and for them to draft me,” Murray said.

The MLB Draft began Monday night. On Tuesday afternoon at Kean University in Union, Murray had two hits in Westfield’s come-from-behind 8-5, eight-inning Group 4 semifinal win over Morris Knolls.

He gave Georgia Tech a and signed his in November.

“When I signed with Georgia Tech I knew it was the best place for me academically and it also has an outstanding baseball program,” Murray said. “I knew I had a chance to be drafted coming into the season.

“I’m excited to play college ball. I want to go to college and play for three seasons and then, hopefully, I’ll have the opportunity to get drafted again.”

A.J.’s older brother, , was signed by the San Francisco Giants as a non-drafted free agent on June 21, 2010, one month after graduating from Wake Forest University and then being accepted into five different law schools. The 2006 Westfield graduate batted .400 in nine games while playing for the Giants’ Arizona League rookie team last summer.

He was then promoted to the organization’s Class A Short-Season Northwest League team called the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. Mike Jr. batted .319 with two home runs and eight RBI in 20 games.

Mike Murray Sr. said that Mike Jr. was just moved from catcher to first base because the Giants are a “catcher-rich” organization at this time.

Murray Sr., who played his high school ball at Union Catholic, was selected in the 22^nd round of the 1984 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox. He was the 572^nd pick, a third baseman, out of Kean College.

“It’s an honor for a major league club to choose you in the draft and, obviously, a nice thing to happen for A.J.,” Murray Sr. said. “The most important thing right now is that he’s playing on a great Westfield team and that his teammates have elevated him.”

“He gets a lot of attention, but he has a tremendous amount of great players around him. Yesterday was great, but he’s been dealing with draft stuff – things like scouts and showcases – for a year now.

“He, obviously, has a strong commitment to Georgia Tech. I’ve talked to clubs as far as drafts and money. We hold the Georgia Tech scholarship as something of tremendous value. The only thing on everyone’s mind right now is Saturday. The Astros are a great organization, but we won’t be talking to them further until after Saturday.

“This is a wonderful thing for A.J. and it’s a credit to his teammates for making him look so good this year.”

Mike Jr. reached the minor leagues after playing four years at a top-notch Division 1 school.

“Michael got there and is now playing with a college degree,” Mike Sr. said. “It’s rare that guys hang around long enough to get the four-year degree.”

A.J. is a four-year starter – right field his freshman year and catcher his last three – who is part of the first Westfield team to be playing for a state championship.

Saturday’s game is scheduled to be played at 2 p.m. at Toms River South’s Ken Frank Field in Toms River.

Westfield has scored the deciding runs in the final inning of all five state tournament games it’s played so far – a rare feat for any high school baseball team.

“The whole post-season and the entire year there’s been a new person to be the hero and come up with the big hit,” Murray said. “It’s been a team effort, not just one or two players. It’s truly been everyone.”

Westfield will also be playing its first game in Toms River and will seek to end a very special 2011 season on a nine-game winning streak.

“Again, it’s a big honor to be playing in the Group 4 state championship game and it’s a very big deal to do so in a very competitive state like New Jersey,” Murray said. “I’m excited to get down there and compete.”

One thing’s for sure. Of all the teams that are headed to Toms River Saturday the one you can bet won’t get down if it should fall behind is Westfield.

“During the games we just keep fighting,” Murray said. “We’re always focused on winning each game, so I don’t think these past five games have settled in yet. Right now we’re playing games like we always do.

“I think later when we look back we will see how incredible it’s been.”

A.J. will be the third Murray to attend and play a sport at an Atlantic Coast Conference school. Brittany Murray, a 2008 Johnson graduate, just completed her undergraduate studies in only three years at the University of Maryland, where she was also member of the softball team.