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Four More Trojans Taken on Day Three of MLB Draft
June 05, 2019 | Baseball, Features
LOS ANGELES – The USC baseball team had four players taken on the final day of the MLB Draft, with Connor Lunn, Matthew Acosta, Austin Manning and Augie Sylk all being selected.
Lunn was taken in the 11th round by the St. Louis Cardinals, Acosta was selected in the 12th round by the San Diego Padres, Manning went in the 19th round to the Kansas City Royals and Sylk also went to the Royals in the 38th round. Lunn, Acosta and Manning are all juniors, and Sylk is a draft-eligible sophomore, giving all four the option of signing with their respective teams or returning to USC.
Three other Trojans were selected yesterday, giving USC a total of seven draft selections in 2019, the most the program has had since 2016 when a record 12 USC players were drafted. As a program, USC has produced 340 MLB Draft picks and 114 major-leaguers (most in the NCAA).
Connor Lunn (RHP) – St. Louis Cardinals (11th round, 335th pick)
Lunn started the year as the Trojans' closer and then transitioned to the team's Friday starter at the beginning of Pac-12 play, shining in both roles on his way to earning All-Pac-12 honors. Lunn led the starting staff with a 3.69 ERA, going 7-4 over the course of 83.0 innings pitched. He was ninth in the Pac-12 with 79 strikeouts and had the seventh best opponent's batting average at .219. He tossed a complete-game shutout against Washington State and tossed at least 6.0 innings in all but one of his 11 starts this season. For his career, Lunn owns a 3.75 ERA, 9-9 record, 10 saves and 152 strikeouts to just 58 walks in 151.0 innings pitched.
Matthew Acosta (OF) – San Diego Padres (12th round, 353rd pick)
Acosta led the Trojans offensively this season, posting team highs in batting average (.319), home runs (seven), RBI (40) and OPS (.899). The left-handed centerfielder was also one of the best defenders in the league, earning Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honorable mention after posting just one error and four outfield assists, while also making a host of highlight-reel catches. Acosta scored a total of 36 runs, had 10 doubles and stole eight bases, while starting all 50 games he appeared in during his breakout junior season. For his career, Acosta is a .291 hitter, with 12 home runs, 22 doubles, 81 RBI and 82 runs scored.
Austin Manning (LHP) – Kansas City Royals (19th round, 559th pick)
Manning served as a lefty out of the bullpen for the Trojans this year, tossing 21.0 innings in 15 appearances. The junior struck out 25 batters, while walking 16. He had nine scoreless outings on the season, including a season-high 2.1 scoreless innings against Arkansas early in the year. In his three years at USC, Manning has thrown 87.1 innings and made 54 appearances, including four starts. He has struck out 97 batters, saved three games and picked up three wins.
Augie Sylk (LHP) – Kansas City Royals (38th round, 1129th pick)
Sylk was effective in limited action for the Trojans after coming back from injury this season. The left-handed pitcher made one appearance out of the bullpen for USC in 2019, striking out two batters and walking two in 2.0 scoreless innings of work against Arizona late in the year. Sylk made one appearance for the Trojans last year, tossing an inning against UCLA in which he struck out two batters.
Lunn was taken in the 11th round by the St. Louis Cardinals, Acosta was selected in the 12th round by the San Diego Padres, Manning went in the 19th round to the Kansas City Royals and Sylk also went to the Royals in the 38th round. Lunn, Acosta and Manning are all juniors, and Sylk is a draft-eligible sophomore, giving all four the option of signing with their respective teams or returning to USC.
Three other Trojans were selected yesterday, giving USC a total of seven draft selections in 2019, the most the program has had since 2016 when a record 12 USC players were drafted. As a program, USC has produced 340 MLB Draft picks and 114 major-leaguers (most in the NCAA).
Connor Lunn (RHP) – St. Louis Cardinals (11th round, 335th pick)
Lunn started the year as the Trojans' closer and then transitioned to the team's Friday starter at the beginning of Pac-12 play, shining in both roles on his way to earning All-Pac-12 honors. Lunn led the starting staff with a 3.69 ERA, going 7-4 over the course of 83.0 innings pitched. He was ninth in the Pac-12 with 79 strikeouts and had the seventh best opponent's batting average at .219. He tossed a complete-game shutout against Washington State and tossed at least 6.0 innings in all but one of his 11 starts this season. For his career, Lunn owns a 3.75 ERA, 9-9 record, 10 saves and 152 strikeouts to just 58 walks in 151.0 innings pitched.
Matthew Acosta (OF) – San Diego Padres (12th round, 353rd pick)
Acosta led the Trojans offensively this season, posting team highs in batting average (.319), home runs (seven), RBI (40) and OPS (.899). The left-handed centerfielder was also one of the best defenders in the league, earning Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honorable mention after posting just one error and four outfield assists, while also making a host of highlight-reel catches. Acosta scored a total of 36 runs, had 10 doubles and stole eight bases, while starting all 50 games he appeared in during his breakout junior season. For his career, Acosta is a .291 hitter, with 12 home runs, 22 doubles, 81 RBI and 82 runs scored.
Austin Manning (LHP) – Kansas City Royals (19th round, 559th pick)
Manning served as a lefty out of the bullpen for the Trojans this year, tossing 21.0 innings in 15 appearances. The junior struck out 25 batters, while walking 16. He had nine scoreless outings on the season, including a season-high 2.1 scoreless innings against Arkansas early in the year. In his three years at USC, Manning has thrown 87.1 innings and made 54 appearances, including four starts. He has struck out 97 batters, saved three games and picked up three wins.
Augie Sylk (LHP) – Kansas City Royals (38th round, 1129th pick)
Sylk was effective in limited action for the Trojans after coming back from injury this season. The left-handed pitcher made one appearance out of the bullpen for USC in 2019, striking out two batters and walking two in 2.0 scoreless innings of work against Arizona late in the year. Sylk made one appearance for the Trojans last year, tossing an inning against UCLA in which he struck out two batters.
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