Six Aztecs Taken in MLB Draft

After San Diego State Aztec pitcher Michel Cederoth (Minnesota, 3rd round) and outfielder Greg Allen (Cleveland, 6th round) were taken on Friday during day two of the annual Major League Draft, four fellow Aztecs heard their names called on Saturday during the final day of the pro selection process. That foursome included catcher Brad Haynal and second baseman Tim Zier along with pitchers Brandon Thomas and Justin Hepner.

Cederoth was taken by the Minnesota Twins as the fifth pick of the third round (79th overall). He becomes the highest SDSU selection since former Aztec Stephen Strasburg was chosen as the No. 1 overall pick in 2009. Allen, meanwhile, went to the Cleveland Indians in the sixth round.

Michael Cederoth

Cederoth recently completed a season that saw him move from a starting role to the spot as the closer in the San Diego State bullpen. In 2014 he compiled a record of 6-2 with a 2.28 earned run average along with 20 saves. His save total is the third-highest in NCAA Division I this year and ties the SDSU record set by Addison Reed during the 2009 campaign.

A first-team Louisville Slugger All-America honoree this season, Cederoth was a first-team all-Mountain West Conference selection and earned the league's Pitcher of the Week Award twice in 2014. He has also been named as one of five finalists for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award, presented annually to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball.

Greg Allen

Allen hit .305 this past season with eight doubles and 52 runs scored in 61 contests. He also stole 25 bases to lead the conference and match his total of the previous year. A preseason second team All-America honoree by Baseball America, he was named to the all-tournament team at last month's Mountain West Conference Tournament, the second straight year he has captured that honor.

Allen was recently named San Diego State's 2013-14 Male Student-Athlete of the Year and is a member of the 2014 Capital One Academic All-District 8 team. He is also a two-time recipient of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar award.

Brad Haynal

Haynal was the first SDSU player taken on Saturday, going to the Miami Marlins in the 18th round. The junior catcher hit .313 this past season while leading the team in home runs (12) and RBI (49). Defensively he threw out 25-of-47 runners attempting to steal against him. Haynal was named the MVP of the 2014 Mountain West Tournament and was also a second-team all-conference selection.

Tim Zier

Zier, selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 21st round, concluded his four-year Aztec career as the program's all-time leader in hits, games played at and at bats while also finishing among the SDSU career top 10 in doubles, total bases, sacrifice bunts and hit by pitch. In 2014 he hit .325 with 15 doubles, 33 RBI and 44 runs scored en route to earning first-team All-Mountain West honors for the second straight year.

Brandon Thomas

Thomas, a left-handed pitcher selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 24th round, completed his junior season in 2014 making 20 appearances and compiling a 4.82 earned run average. He was utilized primarily as a situation reliever facing left-handed batters and tossed a total of 9.1 innings with five strikeouts.

Justin Hepner

Hepner, a senior right-hander from nearby Carlsbad High School and was selected by Miami in the 36th round, made 10 relief appearances this past season covering 10 innings. He concluded his four-year SDSU career with a record of 6-5 along with eight saves and a 4.06 earned run average. He served as the Aztecs' closer in 2012 compiling seven saves that year, the 11th-highest single-season total in school history.

The total of six players taken in this year's MLB Draft is the most for San Diego State since seven athletes were selected in June 2007. SDSU tied Fresno State for the most Mountain West players taken followed by UNLV and Nevada with four each, New Mexico with three and Boise State (a football athlete) with one.