Baseball 6/5/2012 2:44:00 PM

Phillips becomes highest drafted OCU baseball player

San Diego Padres take junior all-American with 70th choice in second round

Dane Phillips hit .410 with 26 doubles, 14 home runs and 67 RBIs this season for the Stars.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Dane Phillips became the highest drafted baseball player from Oklahoma City University ever Tuesday.
The San Diego Padres chose Phillips in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft with the 70th overall pick in the second round. Grant Hansen had been OCU's previous high draft choice with the 89th pick in the third round by the Chicago White Sox in 2004.
The Stars boast of the first player picked in the NAIA for the third time in four years. Baseball America considered Phillips the prize prospect in the NAIA before the season.
“It is an absolute honor to be picked this high,” Phillips said. “I am extremely appreciative of the opportunity OCU gave me this year. I had a blast there.”
Phillips, a junior catcher-outfielder from Nacogdoches, Texas, clouted an NAIA-high 26 doubles and led the Sooner Athletic Conference with a .410 batting average. Phillips added 86 hits, three triples, 14 homers, 67 RBIs and a .985 fielding percentage. His .726 slugging percentage ranked fifth in the NAIA. He had been named a first-team all-American on Monday.
A first-team all-league performer, Phillips doubled three times at Oklahoma Baptist on March 24 and drove in four runs four times this year. Phillips put together an 11-game hitting streak from March 7-24, raising his batting average from .342 to .416.
Phillips went 4-for-4, scored twice, doubled and homered at Oklahoma Christian on April 13. He had 11 three-hit games this year.
The Seattle Mariners had picked Phillips in the 49th round of the 2009 draft. Phillips had become a first-team all-Big 12 honoree with Oklahoma State prior to coming to OCU.
OCU has produced 132 professional players and 60 selected in the draft. Denney Crabaugh has mentored 121 future pros and 54 draftees in 25 years at OCU including 24 as head coach.
The Stars went 48-12, captured the SAC regular-season title, won an NAIA Championship Opening-Round Tournament for the fifth year in a row and advanced to the NAIA World Series for the fifth consecutive time this year.
OCU owns 1,118 wins since 1991 for the most in college baseball during that time.

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