Gil, Crespo, Walker, Brown Taken In The Major League Draft
June 5, 2000
Coral Gables, FL (www.hurricanesports.com) – University of Miami senior David Gil highlighted the first day of the 2000 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft as he was taken in the third round by the Cincinnati Reds with the 93rd pick.
Gil, a right-handed pitcher out of Miami’s Christopher Columbus School, was previously selected in the seventh round by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1999 Draft, but opted to return to Miami for his senior season.
Gil closed out his UM career with a 11-3 record in 2000 and was named to the Coral Gables Regional All-Tournament Team, as well as Louisville Slugger Second Team All-American. In four seasons at UM, the 2000 team captain totaled a 31-5 career record and places seventh with 312 career strikeouts. Additionally, Gil is a two-time Ron Fraser Pitcher of the Year honoree, as selected by the UM coaching staff.
Junior rightfielder Manny Crespo was the second current Hurricane selected, as the Miami Westminster Christian product was a 14th round selection (No. 416 overall) by the Seattle Mariners. A 12th round selection by the Atlanta Braves following his high school career, Crespo ranks sixth all-time at UM with 37 career home runs, including 11 in 2000. Baseball America tabbed Crespo the No. 27 prospect in Florida prior to the 2000 draft.
Crespo has played in three College World Series for the Hurricanes and was a member of the 1999 USA National Team and 1993 USA Junior National Team. After being selected to the 1999 College World Series All-Tournament Team, Crespo was named to the All-America Second Team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association.
Senior outfielder Mark Walker was third current Hurricane drafted, chosen by the San Francisco Giants with in the 40th round with the 1200th pick.
Walker, who has seen starts in all three outfield positions, made 12 starts in 34 games as a senior and led the team with a .485 on-base percentage. Additionally, the Miami Westminster graduate had three game winning hits on the season in games over Dartmouth (twice) and Florida International.
This past year Walker took part in the Tucker Anthony BIG EAST Stock Challenge. The UM team, made up of Hurricane student-athletes, placed third nationally and finished the fiscal season with a portfolio that advanced 40.48 percent, besting the gains of the S&P 500. The team’s efforts landed the University Scholarship Fund with a $10,000 gift.
Junior Kevin Brown, who led the team in home runs as a sophomore with 22 in 1999, was drafted in the 44th round by the Boston Red Sox. Brown, a resident of North Fort Myers, spent the latter half of the 2000 season slowed by a left shin injury.
Named to the 2000 Coral Gables Regional All-Tournament Team, Brown still finished amomng the top five in nearly every offensive category.
The Chicago Cubs selected former Hurricane Bobby Hill, who has been playing with the Newark Bears of the Independent Atlantic League, with the 43rd pick of the second round. Hill, the 1999 Team MVP, was a “sandwich” pick following the second round in last year’s draft by the Chicago White Sox.
