MLB teams draft three Panthers


FIU baseball fans, celebrate: Three of your Panthers are going to the majors.

Photo: FIUSports.com.

Major League Baseball has drafted junior outfielder Jabari Henry (pictured at right), junior left-handed pitcher Mason McVay and senior third baseman Mike Martinez. Each was drafted in the 18th, 26th and 36th round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Henry is joining the Seattle Mariners. A former freshman All-American and First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference outfield selection, he is a career .283 (154-for-545) hitter in his three years at FIU, totaling 34 home runs and 130 RBI. His 34 long balls rank him fourth all-time on the FIU career list while his 130 RBI are eighth on the career list.

Mason McVay. Photo: FIUSports.com.

For his part, McVay, who was drafted by the San Francisco Giants, holds a 3-6 record with a 4.31 ERA in 66 career appearances as a Panther, including 13 starts. In 2011, the 6’8” lefty started 12 games and had a 3.36 ERA in 64.1 innings pitched with 72 strikeouts.

In his career, McVay struck out 132 batters in just 117 innings of work.

Martinez, meanwhile, is bound for Houston, where he will play for the Astros.

A former walk-on turned All-American, he is the only Panther in the history of FIU baseball to be named all-conference in all four seasons with the program.

Mike Martinez. Photo: FIUSports.com.

Martinez certainly left his mark at FIU, leaving the program as the all-time leader in hits (302), RBI (198), total bases (479) and at bats (874). He also ranks third all-time with 37 home runs and is second with 58 doubles.