National News

 June 7, 2012

The St. Louis Cardinals selected Central Florida star outfielder Yoenny Gonzalez in the eighth round of the Major League Baseball Draft on Tuesday. The speedy switch-hitter was chosen with the 270th overall pick.

A two-year star for the Patriots out of Coral Gables High School, Gonzalez hit .317 as a sophomore with 7 doubles, 3 triples and 7 home runs while stealing 14 bases.

Under MLB rules, Gonzalez can now negotiate a contract with the Cardinals but is under no obligation to join the organization. If so inclined, he can instead choose from a number of NCAA offers and re-enter the draft at the conclusion of his collegiate career.

Former Patriots have now been selected in three consecutive MLB drafts, though the prior two were selected after finishing their collegiate careers at NCAA schools. Pitcher Nicholas Avila was selected by the Detroit Tigers out of Nova Southeastern last year, while pitcher Juan Perez was chosen by the Colorado Rockies out of Bethune-Cookman in 2010.

Gonzalez is the first player picked directly out of CF since 2009, when Avila was drafted by the Tigers but opted for the NCAA route, and the first CF position player chosen since the Houston Astros tabbed C/OF Kyle Miller in 2007. His eighth-round selection is the second-highest draft position ever for a player selected directly out of CF, according to baseballreference.com; pitcher Kevin Ponder was a seventh-round pick of the New York Mets in 1986.