June 10, 2009

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Junior shortstop Jon Karcich of the Santa Clara baseball team was selected in the seventh round (231 overall) by the Anaheim Angels in the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday, June 10. The draft continues through the remainder of Wednesday with rounds 4-30 and into Thursday, June 11 with rounds 31-50.

Karcich became the second highest drafted Bronco under the tutelage of SCU head coach Mark O'Brien since Will Thompson in 2004, who was also selected in the seventh round. He was also the third student-athlete from the West Coast Conference to be selected as Loyola Marymount's Angelo Songco and Ryan Wheeler were chosen in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively.

"We are very happy whenever any of our student-athletes develop into a professional prospect," said O'Brien. "Jon has worked extremely hard to get to that level."

A two-time All-West Coast Conference first team honoree, Karcich led SCU with 22 doubles and was second in runs (37), hits (58) and slugging percentage (.500). In the WCC, he was second in doubles, fifth in on-base percentage (.454) and ninth in batting average (.354). The Belmont, Calif., native also posted two home runs, was walked a team-high 24 times and was hit-by-pitch on 11 occasions.

After missing two games late in the season due to a minor shoulder injury, Karcich returned to end the year with a 10-game hitting streak. As a junior in 2009, Karcich entered his first two career record books lists as well as his first single-season list. He ranks No. 6 in career hit-by-pitch (26), tied for No. 6 in career doubles (48) and is fifth in single-season doubles (22).

In 2008, Karcich compiled one of the best sophomore campaigns in Santa Clara history. He led the Broncos in slugging percentage (.591), RBIs (51), home runs (12) and total bases (123). He also was second on the team with a .351 batting average. In WCC games only, Karcich ranked second in runs, fifth in hits and third in homers.

As a rookie in 2007, the Junipero Serra High School alum started in all 54 games in which he appeared, hitting 12 doubles and four home runs with 30 RBIs.

Click here to view Santa Clara's MLB Draft History.