Three Bears Selected on Day Three of MLB Draft

MACON, Ga. – Mercer saw three Bears selected on the final day of the 2017 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft Wednesday, as Charlie Madden, Danny Edgeworth and Ryan Askew had their names called.

The Colorado Rockies selected Edgeworth in the 23rd round (686th pick); the Boston Red Sox selected Madden in the 24th round (731th pick); and the Tampa Bay Rays selected Askew in the 29th round (859th pick).

All three draftees were seniors and pushed the total number of MLB draftees during head coach Craig Gibson's tenure to 19 since 2004. The three-man draft class marks the fourth time in program history that Mercer has had at least three draftees in a single season (2011, 1990, 1983).

"It speaks well of our program for undrafted guys to come in and develop en route to pursuing their dreams of being selected in the MLB Draft," Gibson said. "I'm extremely proud of Danny, Charlie and Ryan – all three earned their degrees, won championships and played in a NCAA Tournament regional during their collegiate careers. These guys are the definition of how to succeed as student-athletes."

Edgeworth earned All-SoCon First Team (coaches) honors this spring by batting .332 with 71 hits, including 23 extra-base hits and eight home runs. He was hitting upwards of .392 as late as mid-April and additionally made a seamless transition from the hot corner to second base early in the year. He joins infielder Jacob Tanis (2010) as the only Bears drafted by Colorado. Tanis did not sign, however.

Madden, a native of Dunwoody, Georgia, turned in an impressive senior campaign highlighted by career-bests of 17 home runs and 56 runs batted in. He was nearly flawless behind the dish defensively, owning a .992 fielding percentage. Madden started over 200 games and totaled 40 home runs over his four-year career.

This is the second time in as many years Madden has been selected in the MLB Draft. The Chicago White Sox drafted him in the 25th round last year but he did not sign, instead opting to return to school and help Mercer claim its third consecutive Southern Conference regular season title and the second most wins (39) in program history. One other Bear – Brantley New (2006) – has been drafted by Boston.

Askew, the Bears' third draftee, went 4-2 as the Friday starter and logged a team-best 83.2 innings on the mound this spring. The 6-foot-6 right-hander issued only nine walks in 14 starts and ranked fifth nationally with 0.97 walks per nine innings. He is a former All-SoCon Second Team selection (2016) and started 50 games while logging 200 strikeouts and 17 victories in his career.

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Three Bears Selected on Day Three of MLB Draft

Players Mentioned

Ryan Askew

Danny Edgeworth

Charlie Madden

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