Cory Hahn (far left) is seen lining up with his fellow Sun Devils for the playing of the national anthem at a home game in Tempe. Hahn has been recently drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks. (Photo by Molly Smith.)For Cory Hahn, the path to being drafted was unconventional to say the least.
In Hahn’s freshman season with ASU baseball in 2011, he became paralyzed from the chest down after a head-first slide into second base went awry.
More than two years later, Hahn was taken in the 34th round of the 2013 MLB draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, a symbolic gesture not only because he wore the No. 34 jersey, but because of how far he’s come adapting to life.
Although Hahn can’t play baseball anymore after suffering the devastating injury, he could still work for the Diamondbacks in other facets.
"We want to make this permanent," Diamondbacks President and CEO Derrick Hall told MLB.com. "We don't want to make it just about the selection and about him being a Draft pick, but about working here in full-time employment with the Diamondbacks. Hopefully we'll make that come to fruition for him and his family here soon."
Hahn was among seven ASU players drafted from the Sun Devil baseball team. According to the team, through the second day of the MLB draft, 391 ASU players have been selected in the draft, most among collegiate programs. Five more players, including Hahn, were taken on the third day.
Junior pitcher Trevor Williams was the first Sun Devil taken off the board in the draft when the Miami Marlins swiped him in the second round (No. 44 overall).
As ASU’s Friday Night starter in the spring, he went 6-6 on the mound with a 4.12 ERA. During Williams’ sophomore year, he was a second team All-American with a 12-2 record and a 2.05 ERA.
Junior centerfielder Kasey Coffman was the next player off the board from the Sun Devil program, picked by the Detroit Tigers in the 10th round (No. 306 overall).
Coffman improved dramatically from his sophomore season when he hit .234 without a homer to an All-Pac-12 selection this season, hitting .332 with eight homers and 44 RBI.
The Colorado Rockies selected junior third baseman Michael Benjamin in the 13th round (No. 379 overall) on the third day in the draft.
Benjamin raked at the plate, hitting .335 and slugging .544, but he could use another season to shore up his glove. Benjamin committed 17 errors at the hot corner and his .906 fielding percentage was lowest among everyday ASU players.
Senior catcher Max Rossiter became a mainstay behind the plate, starting 52 of 60 games for the Sun Devils, including 48 at catcher. Rossiter, who began his career at Central Arizona College, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 15th round (No. 449 overall).
The selections continued to pile up on the third day of the draft when the Los Angeles Dodgers took junior second baseman James McDonald in the 18th round (No. 544 overall). McDonald smacked six homers and stole seven bags for ASU in 2013.
The last ASU player acquired in the draft was senior pitcher Alex Blackford, who went in the 37th round (No. 1117 overall) to the Los Angeles Angels. Blackford appeared in 24 games, including three as a starter, and went 5-1 with a 4.93 ERA.
Two signees selected early
More important than the juniors potentially leaving school early are the two ASU signees weighing that same dilemma.
Infielder Dustin Peterson, a Gilbert High product and ASU signee, has a tough decision after being drafted in the second round (No. 50 overall) by the San Diego Padres.
Likewise does Kevin Franklin, another ASU signee who was also taken in the second round (No. 67 overall) by the Cincinnati Reds.
If the ASU commits don’t sign with their respective MLB teams by July 12 at 2 p.m. PT, they will next be eligible for the MLB draft in three years.
That deadline also applies to the current ASU juniors taken, who are pondering returning for a senior season.
Reach the reporter at justin.janssen@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @jjanssen11
