SUNY Cortland junior pitcher Matt Tone (Rochester/Irondequoit) was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 14th round of the professional baseball draft Wednesday. Tone is the 10th Cortland player to be drafted by a major league baseball team, all since 1994.
Tone came to an agreement with the Twins toward the end of June and will start his professional career with the organization's farm team in Elizabethton, Tenn.
Tone finished 8-0 this past spring with a 3.07 earned run average in 11 appearances, all starts. In 67 and one-third innings, he allowed 64 hits and struck out 84 batters. Tone has a combined record of 21-1 (school-record .955 winning percentage) with a 2.81 ERA through three seasons with the Red Dragons. He ranks third at Cortland with 229 career strikeouts in 176 and one-third innings.
Tone is a two-time Division III All-American. He was chosen to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-America second team as a sophomore and to the third team this season. He was also the 2008 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Pitcher of the Year and a two-time first team all-region honoree.
A 2006 graduate of Irondequoit High School, Tone was a three-year starter for the Eagles. He was an all-state selection and earned Monroe County Player of the Year honors as a senior.
Tone is the second highest draft pick in Cortland history. Outfielder Craig Kerner was drafted in the 13th round by the Montreal Expos in 2000.
The 2009 major league draft concludes on Thursday, June 11.
Major League Baseball Draft Web Site