Outfield Jeff McVaney, shown here coming home during a Texas State Bobcat game this season, was picked by the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday in Round 8 of the Major League First-Year Player Draft. TEXAS STATE PHOTO

SUBMITTED REPORT

Senior Jeff McVaney heard his name called on Tuesday on the second day of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft. The Detroit Tigers picked the Texas State outfielder in the draft’s eighth round with the 274th overall selection.

McVaney

McVaney’s selection makes it four consecutive years that Texas State has had a player picked during the first 10 rounds of the draft. In 2009, Paul Goldschmidt was chosen in Round 8 and Ben Theriot in Round 9; in 2010, Jason Martinson was chosen in Round 5; and last year, Kyle Kubitza was chosen in Round 3 and Carson Smith in Round 8.

McVaney is the first Texas State player to be drafted as an outfielder since 2006 when Luke Cannon was picked in the 21st round by the San Diego Padres.

“It was nerve-racking waiting all day and not know where I was going to go,” McVaney said. “I spent most of the day at the gym and then playing video games with friends to keep busy.”

McVaney led the Bobcats offensively in nearly every statistical category this season, including batting average (.338), runs scored (46), hits (75), doubles (21), home runs (10), RBIs (48) and stolen bases (16). His 21 doubles tied the single-season Texas State record.

For his career, the Houston native finished with a lifetime .334 average, 145 runs scored, 48 doubles, 30 home runs, 139 RBIs and 29 stolen bases. His home run total is second most in Texas State history behind Paul Goldschmidt (36), while his 48 career doubles are the second most for any Bobcat. In addition to those categories, McVaney ranks in the top-15 in the Bobcat record books in games played, at-bats, hits, runs scored, RBIs, total bases, batting average and stolen bases.

“All the credit goes to Texas State for getting me to this point,” McVaney said. “Going from a football player and a pitcher to getting drafted as an outfielder is pretty crazy. My coaches helped a lot and teammates pushed me to be better.”

McVaney is the 41st player in Texas State history to be selected in the draft, and the 26th player since head coach Ty Harrington took over the program in 2000.

The final day of the 2012 MLB Draft will take place beginning at 11 a.m. on Wednesday and will consist of rounds 16 through 40.