Through two days of of the 2011 MLB first year player draft, four Georgia Tech players have been drafted. On Tuesday, juniors Jacob Esch, Matt Skole, and Mark Pope joined first round pick Jed Bradley on the list.
Skole was the first Tech player to be taken off the board on Tuesday, going in the fifth round, 157th overall, to the Washington Nationals. The third baseman finished his career tied with the fifth-most home runs all-time in Tech history with 47. This season, he had a .348 batting average, 10 home runs and 58 RBI. His career accolades include being named to the freshman All-American team and the All-ACC team the last two years.
Pope was selected later in the fifth round with the 173rd pick by the San Diego Padres. The right-hander put up an 11-4 record and a 1.74 ERA this season, and holds a 24-6 career record. He finished with a Tech record with four career complete game shutouts.
While Esch played most of his career at Tech as an infielder, the Minnesota native was drafted in the 11th round by Florida Marlins as a pitcher. This season, Esch batted .319 and had 41 RBI, six home runs, and nine stolen bases. On the mound, he finished with 5.0 innings pitched and a 1.80 ERA.