Three Bruins drafted

UCLA'S MURPHY, CRAWFORD, CURTIS SELECTED ON DAY ONE OF MLB DRAFT
Trio of Bruin juniors selected in top five rounds of 2008 draft

LOS ANGELES - UCLA left-handed pitcher Tim Murphy and infielders Brandon Crawford and Jermaine Curtis were selected in the third, fourth and fifth rounds, respectively, of the 2008 MLB Draft on Thursday afternoon. All three juniors played instrumental roles in leading the UCLA baseball team to the postseason for three consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.

Murphy, the 89th overall selection in the draft, was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the third round. Crawford was chosen by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round as the draft's 117th overall selection. Curtis was drafted in the fifth round as the 155th overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Murphy, a junior from Vista, Calif., registered a 3.34 ERA, the lowest mark on the Bruins' staff and the fourth-best ERA among all Pac-10 pitchers. Murphy's team-leading totals of 111 strikeouts and 102.1 innings currently rank first and second, respectively, in the Pac-10 Conference.

An 11th-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2005, Murphy finished his UCLA career with a 4.34 ERA, 10-10 record and 207 strikeouts in 178.1 innings. Averaging 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings over the past two years, Murphy did not pitch at UCLA until his sophomore season (2007).

Crawford has belted seven home runs and registered more than 50 RBI (51 in 2008, 55 in 2007) in each of the past two seasons. The Bruins' veteran shortstop has hit over .300 in each of his three seasons at UCLA.

A five-tool player at shortstop, Crawford earned All-Pac-10 team honors in 2007 and captured honorable mention All-Pac-10 accolades in 2006 and 2008. Crawford competed for the U.S. National Team during the summer of 2006 after having started each of 56 games at shortstop for the Bruins as a freshman.

Curtis, who started all 60 games at third base for the Bruins in 2008, posted a career .321 batting average in three seasons at UCLA. The Fontana, Calif., resident compiled career totals of 38 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 80 RBI, 110 runs and 15 stolen bases. Curtis was named an All-Pac-10 selection in 2007 and earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 accolades in 2006 and 2008.

Among the most durable performers for the Bruins, Curtis was named the Long Beach Regional All-Tournament Most Valuable Player in June 2007, after having led UCLA to a sweep of the Long Beach Regional at Blair Field. One year later, Curtis earned Fullerton Regional All-Tournament Team honors.

This year's draft marked the sixth time in the 44-year history of the MLB Draft that UCLA had three or more players selected within the first five rounds. The 2000 drafted marked the last time in which three Bruins were selected in the first five rounds.