Three more Missouri players chosen in MLB Draft, giving Tigers five overall

Three more Missouri players were selected Wednesday during the final day of the Major League Baseball draft.

That gives the Tigers five draft picks, which matches the most for MU since 2009, when six players were drafted, led by Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson.

Missouri junior third baseman Josh Lester was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 13th round (400th overall), junior right-hander Alec Rash went to the Washington Nationals in the 23rd round (704th) and shortstop Ryan Howard was picked by the San Francisco Giants in the 31st round (936th).

Lester is a 6-foot-2, 211-pound left-handed hitter from Columbus, Ga., who batted .280 with eight doubles and team-highs of seven home runs and 42 RBIs. He also led MU with a .436 slugging percentage and six sacrifice flies.

Rash, a 6-5, 204-pound native of Adel, Iowa, was a second-round pick (No. 95 overall) by the Phillies in 2012. He went 3-0 with a 3.21 ERA in four appearances, including three starts. He struck out nine and allowed 12 hits and 10 walks in 14 innings after being limited by shoulder tightness.

Howard, a 6-1, 192-pound graduate of Francis Howell Central in suburban St. Louis, led Missouri with a .308 average. He finished with 13 doubles, five home runs and 39 RBIs.

Two Tigers were selected Tuesday in the draft, with junior closer Breckin Williams going to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fourth round (No. 106) and right-hander Peter Fairbanks picked by the Texas Rangers in the ninth round (No. 258).

Missouri, which also had five players drafted in 2010, has had six or more players drafted six times (1966, 1967, 1968, 2006, 2008 and 2009). The program record is eight draft picks in 1966.

▪ Kansas State had two players drafted on Wednesday. Lefty-swinging first baseman Shane Conlon went to the Oakland Athletics in the 34th round (1,028th) and senior center fielder Max Brown was picked by the Diamondbacks in the 37th round (1,096th).

Conlon hit .291 with 13 doubles, two home runs, 10 steals and 26 RBIs in 52 games, while Brown batted .283 with six triples, seven steals and 35 RBIs.

This story was originally published June 10, 2015 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Three more Missouri players chosen in MLB Draft, giving Tigers five overall."