McAvoy drafted in fourth round by Boston Red Sox

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After three outstanding years at Bryant University, junior right-hander Kevin McAvoy (Syracuse, N.Y.) made history on Friday as he was drafted in the fourth round, 134th overall, by the Boston Red Sox in the annual Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

McAvoy, who was 9-1 with a 2.62 ERA this spring, becomes the highest drafted player in program history and the third-highest player in Northeast Conference history. He struck out a program-record 94 batters in a team-high 99.2 innings. McAvoy issued just 28 walks and allowed 77 hits on the year. He tossed 6.2 innings in the NCAA tournament against Houston, allowing two unearned runs on three hits in his last appearance as a Bulldog.

"We are very excited for Kevin," head coach Steve Owens said. "He earned this and we are proud of him and look forward to watching him progress as a professional pitcher. We look forward to more guys joining him tomorrow and hope that he leaves us tickets at Fenway Park in a few years."

He joins former Bulldogs Kevin Brown, Joe Michaud and Peter Kelich to be drafted under fourth-year head coach Steve Owens. Doug Johnson was the highest drafted Bulldog before McAvoy, as he was taken in the fifth round by the Colorado Rockies in 2002.