Echevarria picked by San Diego Padres in 40th round.Stony Brook, N.Y. - Senior catcher Justin Echevarria (Uniondale, N.Y.) of the Stony Brook University baseball team was selected by the San Diego Padres with the ninth pick of the 40th round of 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday afternoon. The Seawolves have had 32 players sign professional contracts under head coach Matt Senk including 23 since the program jumped to Division I in 2000.
A 2010 second team All-America East selection, Echevarria appeared in 46 games behind the plate and hit a career-high .291. He also threw out 13 base runners in just 19 attempts. A 2008 second team all-conference selection as well, Echevarria appeared in 151 games in his Stony Brook career.
Echevarria helped the Seawolves to their second America East title in the past three years in 2010. He also had a hit and a RBI in Stony Brook's 6-2 win over North Carolina State on Saturday at the Myrtle Beach Regional. It was the first Division I NCAA Tournament win in the program's history.
