SECAUCUS, N.J. (June 5, 2019) – Three Lubbock Christian baseball players were selected to continue their careers at the professional level on Wednesday, as Keaton Greenwalt, Chandler Casey and Hill Alexander had their names called on the third and final day of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft.  
 
The three joined Andrew Pratt as the four Chaps drafted this year, after Pratt went with the 303^rd pick (10^th round) to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. The four players selected are tied for the most ever from LCU in a single year. Four Lubbock Christian players were also drafted in 2013.
 
Greenwalt was the first LCU player selected on day three of the draft and the second overall, going in the 20^th round with the 600^th overall pick to the Philadelphia Phillies. He has been a Chap for three years now, playing more than 120 games in the outfield.


 
A starter each of the last two years, he hit .330 for his collegiate career, including a .361 average in 2019 as a junior. The New Mexico native collected 21 doubles and seven triples to go along with 15 home runs during his junior and senior seasons, reaching base at a .394 clip for his career (.422 OBP as a junior). Greenwalt was recognized on the All-Heartland Conference First Team after his junior season and named to the league's All-Defensive Team as well after handling 97 chances in center field without a single error.
 
Casey came off the board later in the afternoon, as the Houston Astros used their 26^th round pick (796 overall) to select the righty pitcher. A Lubbock native, Casey pitched his junior and senior seasons at LCU, posting a 2.45 earned run average in 139.1 innings on the mound. His career ERA is the lowest by any Chap all-time (minimum 90 innings pitched).

 

Both seasons with LCU, Casey split time between the bullpen and a starting role, making a team-leading 18 appearances each season. In 2019, he was on the mound for 87.0 innings, striking out 89 batters and holding opponents to a .226 average at the plate. He was the Heartland Conference Pitcher of the Week four times during his senior season, leading to a spot on the All-Heartland Conference First Team and league All-Defense Team.
 
The third and final Chap of the day was selected in the 28^th round, as Hill Alexander went to the Tampa Bay Rays with the 848^th overall pick. Alexander spent just one season at LCU, but it was an impactful one as he led the team with a .411 batting average while starting every game in right field. Reaching base at a .474 clip and slugging .736, Alexander also led the team in home runs (14), while scoring 54 times and driving in 53 runs.


 
His incredible offensive numbers led to a number of awards and accolades, including Heartland Conference Player of the Year, three All-Region Selections and Third Team All-American recognition from the American Baseball Coaches Association and the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association.
 
Overall, Lubbock Christian has now had 43 players drafted in its program history, dating back to John Harris's selection in 1976. Of those 43, 17 have come since 2004, when head coach Nathan Blackwood began leading the program.