Stony Brook baseball junior center fielder Travis Jankowski (Lancaster, Pa.) has been selected by the San Diego Padres 44th overall in the supplemental first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft. Jankowski becomes Stony Brook's first-ever first-round selection.
Jankowski is one of the nation's best hitters in 2012. Through Sunday, Jankowski was hitting .420 with five home runs, 45 RBI, 10 triples, 16 doubles, 35 stolen bases and 73 runs scored.
Jankowski has ranked in the top 10 in the nation in batting average, runs scored, triples and stolen bases all season and was named a second-team Louisville Slugger All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. He is currently on the watch list for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the nation's top player.
During America East play, Jankowski batted .457 with a conference-leading 29 runs scored and 43 hits in 23 games played. He also led the league in triples (6) and stolen bases (13) en route to being named America East Player of the Year and first-team All-America East.
Jankowski is only the second player from an America East institution to be drafted in the first round, joining Northeastern's Carlos Pena, who was selected 10th overall in 1998.
Jankowski's draft stock soared after an incredible 2011 season both at Stony Brook and in the Cape Cod Summer League. For the Seawolves, he hit .355 with 30 stolen bases to earn first-team All-America East honors. Then for the Bourne Braves using a wood bat, Jankowski hit .329 with a league-leading 57 hits, 31 runs and seven triples on his way to earning Cape Cod League MVP honors.
Jankowski has been one of the leaders of a Stony Brook team that is 50-12, won the America East Championship and just won the Coral Gables Regional of the NCAA Tournament to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time ever.
