GREENVILLE — Kevin Brandt, Jharel Cotton, Tyler Joyner, Corey Thompson and John Wooten each heard their names called Wednesday afternoon as they were selected on the final day of the 2012 Major League Baseball First Year Amateur Player Draft.
Brandt, one of three hurlers taken on the day, was the first Pirate to be selected when the Tampa Bay Rays chose him in the 18th round (pick No. 572). Junior right-hander Jharel Cotton was taken in the 20th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers (pick No. 626), while fellow classmate left-hander Tyler Joyner heard his name called in the 35th round by the Kansas City Royals (pick No. 1063).
Third baseman Corey Thompson went to the Chicago White Sox in the 31st round (pick No. 951) and junior John Wooten (1B/OF) rounded out the afternoon when he was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 37th round (pick No. 1129).
The five Pirates join senior catcher Zach Wright, who was drafted in the 12th round by the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday evening with the 387th overall selection, as selections in this year’s draft. Also selected on the final day were ECU commitments Quinn Carpenter (Boston Red Sox, Round 27, pick 841 overall) and Justin Taylor (Boston Red Sox, Round 30, pick 931 overall).

Kevin Brandt
Started 16 games recording a team-best 13 quality starts … posted a 7-6 overall record with a 2.12 ERA, which ranks 34th nationally … Struck out 68 with 27 walks in 106.1 innings … Earned First-Team All-Conference USA honors and was named to the College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher-of-the-Year Watch List.

Jharel Cotton
Second-Team All-Conference USA selection … Posted an 8-3 record in 15 starts with a 3.65 ERA … Recorded six quality starts … Tallied 62 strikeouts to 24 walks in 74.0 innings pitched … Struck out a career-best 12 batters against Tulane (Apr. 29) … Also had an 11-strikeout performance at No. 19 UCF (Mar. 25) … Led the Pirates with eight victories, which was tied for third in C-USA and ranked 74th nationally.

Tyler Joyner
Appeared in 17 games (12 starts) posting a 6-2 record with a 3.01 ERA in 92.2 innings pitched … Struck out 68 batters to just 12 walks, ranking 20th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.67) … Second on the team with seven quality starts … Tossed consecutive complete games against UAB (Mar. 31) and Houston (Apr. 6) … Named to the College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher-of-the-Year Watch List.

Corey Thompson
Second-Team All-Conference USA selection … Earned C-USA All-Tournament honor after batting a team-best .583 (7-for-12) with three RBI and three runs in three games … Batted .315 (76-for-241) with four home runs and 40 RBI .

John Wooten
Named First-Team All-Conference USA as a junior … Led the team in average (.338), home runs (nine), slugging percentage (.502), runs (50), total bases (119), while sharing the team lead in RBI (40) with Corey Thompson … Became the first Pirate since Darryl Lawhorn (2003) to claim the triple crown … Started all 59 games played (27/1B, 2/3B, 21/LF, 9/RF).

Zach Wright
Second-Team All-Conference USA selection … Johnny Bench Award Watch List Candidate … Closed out season batting .294 (62-for-211) with five home runs, 12 doubles, 39 RBI and 41 runs … Swiped career-best 10 bases … Recorded 15 multi-hit and 11 multi-RBI games … Collected five game-winning RBI (Western Carolina, Oral Roberts, Houston, Marshall and High Point) … Belted home runs against VCU, Houston, Memphis, Tulane and High Point