GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG junior RHP Ryan Clark (Johnson City, N.Y./Johnson City) was chosen in the fifth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft with the 150th overall pick Tuesday by the Atlanta Braves. He is the second Spartan pitcher drafted by the Braves organization in as many seasons joining RHP Max Povse who was taken in the third round (102nd overall) of last year's draft. Clark is the first player from the Southern Conference drafted in 2015.
Clark represents the 29th UNCG player drafted since the program began in 1991 and the sixth Spartan player or signee selected under current head coach Link Jarrett.
In three seasons at UNCG, Clark put together a 15-13 record and a 3.62 earned run average – the sixth-best career mark in program history. He also tallied 187 strikeouts.
Clark was tabbed the 2015 preseason Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year and earned Second Team All-SoCon honors at the conclusion of the campaign. He compiled a 7-6 record and a 4.06 earned run average while tallying 94 strikeouts – the fifth-highest single-season total in the program annals. Clark held opposing batters to a .235 average over his 95.1 innings pitched.
A solid effort in March earned Clark Southern Conference Pitcher of the Month laurels as he went 4-0 with a 2.00 ERA and 30 strikeouts. He also tossed a complete game shutout with 10 strikeouts against The Citadel before a national ESPN3 audience back on April 17. Clark notched a career-best 12 strikeouts against VMI in the first round of the conference tournament and produced double-digit strikeouts in four appearances.
Clark pitched into the seventh inning on 12 occasions and turned in seven quality starts. In one of his finest outings of the season, he tossed seven scoreless innings in UNCG's 17-2 victory over defending league champion Western Carolina March 20 in Greensboro.
As a sophomore, Clark settled into the Friday spot in the weekend rotation and finished the season with a 3.64 ERA over 14 appearances and 93 innings pitched. He threw his first career complete game against Western Carolina and picked up victories over Georgetown, Georgia Southern and Elon.
Clark enjoyed a stellar debut season for the Blue and Gold as he amassed a 5-1 record with a 2.05 ERA in 30.1 innings of work to earn Southern Conference All-Freshman Team accolades. He surrendered just seven earned runs and held opposing hitters to a .253 average while recording wins over UNC Asheville, Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Samford and The Citadel.
UNCG Players Selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft
Season: Player (Position, Round, Team)
2015: Ryan Clark (P, 5th, Atlanta)
2014: Max Povse (P, 3rd, Atlanta), Dylan Thompson (P, 31st, Colorado)
2013: Cambric Moye (C, 30th, Los Angeles), Dominique Vattuone (P, 32nd, Oakland)
2012: Tyler Hollstegge (P, 21st, Oakland)
2011: Jarrett Miller (P, 21st, Atlanta)
2010: Blake Hassebrock (P, 8th, Oakland)
2009: Rob Gilliam (P, 8th, Oakland)
2008: Ricky Orton (1B, 29th, Florida), Matt Gaski (SS, 34th, San Diego)
2007: Guy Welsh (3B, 18th, Seattle), Lee Land (P, 28th, Oakland), Ryan Falcon (P, 29th, Texas)
2006: Jermaine Mitchell (OF, 5th, Oakland), Patrick Currin (P, 22nd, Oakland)
2005: Chris Mason (P, 2nd, Tampa Bay)
2004: Jason Metzger (LHP, 23rd, Colorado), Jarrett Santos (P, 34th, Florida)
2003: Ryan Gordon (P, 43rd, Toronto)
2002: Everett Hancock (P, 28th, Detroit)
2001: Taft Cable (P, 8th, Philadelphia)
1999: Corey McDonald (P, 21st, Detroit)
1998: Lance Surridge (P, 13th, Boston)
1997: Lance Surridge (P, 14th, Baltimore - did not sign)
1996: Tim Giles (1B, 7th, Toronto)
1994: Tonka Maynor (OF/1B, 27th, Pittsburgh), Joey DeAngelis (1B, 33rd, Colorado), Dan Schneider (C, 36th, San Francisco)
1993: Brian Moehler (P, 6th, Detroit), Tonka Maynor (OF/1B, 47th, Pittsburgh - did not sign)
