June 6, 2008

Miami University junior first baseman Tommy Nurre became the first player from the 2008 Miami baseball team to be drafted in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft as Nurre was selected with the 1,147th pick in the 38th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

From the start of the conference season, Nurre went on a tear from the plate, batting .401 in the RedHawks' final 39 games. In 53 games, Nurre led the RedHawks in batting average (.382), hits (78), doubles (22), home runs (9), RBIs (48) and slugging percentage (.629). In all games, Nurre ranked second among MAC statistical leaders in doubles, third in hitting, fifth in slugging percentage, sixth in total bases, seventh in doubles, while ranking ninth in on-base percentage. In conference-only games, the Cincinnati, Ohio native ranked first in hitting, doubles and on-base percentage, second in total bases, slugging percentage and hits and fourth in RBIs en route to earning Second-Team All-MAC honors. With a double in the final game of the season against Kent State, Nurre moved past Keith O'Hea's mark of 21 doubles in 1988 as the RedHawks' single-season doubles leader. Nurre also posted 25 multi-hit games to lead all Miami players, while notching 10 multi-RBI games, ranking second on the squad only behind Petraitis.

Last season, three RedHawk players were drafted with John Ely drafted in the third round, Connor Graham in the fifth round and junior Josh Hula in the 30th round.