TicketsNov. 3, 2011
CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati baseball team will hold its annual Scout Day on Friday at Marge Schott Stadium.
"Scout day is just one more tool in our effort to provide each of our players an opportunity to move from UC onto professional baseball," said Brian Cleary, UC baseball's all-time winningest head coach.
A number of Major League Baseball area scouts, who regularly attend UC games throughout the season, are expected to be in attendance for an early opportunity to evaluate the Bearcats as they work out and practice in game conditions prior to the start of the 2012 season.
MLB baseball operations departments have had a penchant for acquiring UC baseball student-athletes during Cleary's tenure at UC.
Three of Cleary's former players at UC were on major-league rosters in 2011 - infielders Kevin Youkilis (Boston Red Sox) and Josh Harrison (Pittsburgh Pirates), and outfielder Tony Campana (Chicago Cubs) - which tied for the second most in the BIG EAST Conference.
Cincinnati has had at least one player selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft in each of the past seven years, including last June when the Cincinnati Reds took right-handed pitcher Dan Jensen in the 20th round.
In 15 seasons at the helm of UC baseball, Cleary has coached 42 position players that either got drafted or signed as free agent contract, including shortstop Chris Peters, who was signed as a free agent by the Toronto Blue Jays in June.
Cincinnati is in the middle of its fall practice season that concludes with the Red/Black World Series Nov. 18-20 at Marge Schott Stadium.