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Five Wildcats selected in baseball draft; UA recruit will sign with Cubs

Arizona's Cole Frenzel is tagged out at third base during a game at ASU in March. Photo by Michael Chow/The Arizona Republic

Junior pitcher Kyle Simon led five Arizona Wildcats who were selected on the second day of the major league baseball draft.

The Baltimore Orioles selected Simon, a 6-foot-5 right-hander, in the fourth round with the 125th overall selection. He had an 11-3 record and a 2.72 ERA this season.

Bryce Bandilla, a left-handed junior reliever, was taken by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round (147th overall). He was 5-3 with a 3.66 ERA in 2011.

First baseman Cole Frenzel, a draft-eligible sophomore who hit .346 this season, was taken by the New York Mets in the seventh round (222nd overall)

Infielder Andy Burns, who was not eligible this season following his transfer from Kentucky, went in the 11th round (349th overall) to the Toronto Blue Jays.

And the Atlanta Braves picked up left-handed pitcher Matt Chaffee in the 12th round (386th overall). The team’s closer this season, Chaffee was 6-3 with a 4.85 ERA and seven saves.

Among the Arizona recruiting class, Tayler Scott, a pitcher from Scottsdale Notre Dame, was selected in the fifth round by the Chicago Cubs. He told the Arizona Republic that he will sign a pro contract as he pursues his dream of being the first South African to reach the major leagues.

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