ROCK ISLAND, Ill.— Left-handed pitcher Seth Davis (Mullen HS, Aurora, Colo.), a recent Augustana graduate, has been selected in the 29th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the New York Mets. Davis was the 869th overall pick and becomes just the third Viking ever chosen in the MLB draft.
 
Davis wrapped up a tremendous career last month as Augustana's all-time leader in innings pitched (275) and strikeouts (331). His strikeout total is third among active pitchers at the Division III level and he owns three of the top five single-season whiff totals in school history. He finished his career with a 20-8 record and a 3.01 ERA, ranking sixth all-time at Augustana in wins and 13th in ERA. Possessor of an exceptional move to first, he picked off a remarkable 37 runners in four seasons.
 
Davis was a three-time All-CCIW selection and a two-time all-region pick as well as a second team ABCA/Rawlings All-American in 2013. He was twice chosen as the Vikings' Most Outstanding Pitcher, won CCIW Pitcher of the Week honors on five occasions and led the league in strikeouts in 2013 and 2014.
 
This past season, Davis went 5-2 with a 3.70 ERA and fanned 92 batters in 65 2/3 innings. He was an ABCA All-Region selection, shared Augustana's Most Outstanding Pitcher award and was a three-time CCIW Pitcher of the Week honoree. He finished fourth in the nation with an average of 12.61 strikeouts per nine innings. He fanned a career-high 16 batters in a complete game win over Edgewood and struck out 15 on two other occasions. He picked off four runners in a complete-game win over Widener, including the final out of the game.
 
During his All-America sophomore season, Davis was 7-2 with a 1.89 ERA. He allowed just 67 hits and issued only 18 walks in 90 1/3 innings. He finished sixth in the nation with 100 strikeouts and ranked 25th in both complete games (six) and WHIP (0.94).
 
Davis joins exclusive company in being drafted. The only two previous selections from Augustana were outfielder Bob Karlblom, chosen in the 25th round by the Chicago White Sox in 1965 and right-hander John Benedetti, picked by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 10th round of the 2000 draft. Karlblom, who hit .436 as a senior for the Vikings, did not play professionally. Benedetti, whose career records for strikeouts (290) and innings pitched (266 1/3) Davis surpassed, went 25-12 with a 3.14 ERA in four seasons at Augustana. He went on to a successful five-year minor league career, reaching the Double-A level, where he went 7-5 with three saves and a 3.27 ERA in two seasons.