Albany Herald

Photo by John Amis

ATLANTA - Georgia Tech junior right-hander Deck McGuire was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays Monday with the 11th overall pick of the 2010 Major League Baseball First Year Player draft.

McGuire becomes just the second Georgia Tech pitcher to ever to be selected in the first round, joining Kevin Brown who was picked eighth overall by the Texas Rangers in 1986. He is the school's ninth overall first-round selection.

"It's an honor to be picked in the first round," McGuire said. "The Toronto Blue Jays are a great organization and I am looking forward to helping them out in the future. Right now I am still in the moment, and tonight my teammates are way more important to me. I need to be with them."

McGuire watched from the dugout Monday night as Georgia Tech was eliminated from the NCAA Baseball Tournament, 10-8, by Alabama. On Saturday, McGuire and the Yellow Jackets beat Alabama, 5-2.

The Richmond, Va. native holds a 28-7 career record, having struck out 306 batters in 291.0 innings - the 28 wins tie for the fourth most all-time at Georgia Tech, while the strikeouts place him fifth all-time in the Tech record books. He has earned All-America accolades all three years on the Flats, and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2009.

Tech's No. 1 starter on the mound ended his junior season with a 9-4 record, holding a 2.96 ERA with 118 strikeouts. McGuire led the ACC in strikeouts and innings pitched (112.2), while finishing second in ERA.

Also drafted in the first round were incoming freshmen Jake Skole (Woodstock, Ga.), and Chavez Clarke (Marietta, Ga.). Skole, the brother of current sophomore third baseman Jake Skole, was taken by the Texas Rangers at No. 15, while the Los Angeles Angels selected Clarke with the 30th overall pick. Skole signed a football scholarship at Tech, but would play for the Jacket baseball team as well if he chooses to attend college.