University of Georgia Athletics
Shepherd Selected By Tampa Bay In The 20th Round
June 05, 2019 | Baseball
ATHENS-----The Tampa Bay Rays selected University of Georgia junior shortstop Cam Shepherd in the 20th round (608th overall pick) of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft Wednesday.
A 6-1, 187-pound native of Duluth, Ga., Shepherd has started every game at shortstop the past three seasons, a total of 180 games and posted a .972 fielding percentage. He set a school record for a shortstop with a .987 fielding percentage this past season and did not make an error in 30 Southeastern Conference games. He was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team. At the plate in 2019, Shepherd batted .231 with 13 doubles, eight home runs and 31 RBI. He hit six home runs over the final 16 games of the season.Â
The Bulldogs (46-17) earned a National No. 4 seed for the 2019 NCAA Championships and advanced to the NCAA Athens Regional Final. Shepherd was part of a defense that set a school record with a .980 fielding percentage.
Shepherd is the first Bulldog drafted by the Rays since 2017 when pitcher Andrew Gist was selected. Shepherd was a 29thround pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2016 out of Peachtree Ridge High School in Marietta. He is the sixth Bulldog drafted this year, joining third baseman Aaron Schunk (2ndRound, Colorado), pitcher Tony Locey (3rdRound, St. Louis), pitcher Tim Elliott (4thRound, Seattle), second baseman LJ Talley (7thRound, Toronto) and pitcher Zac Kristofak (14thRound, L.A. Angels).
The Bulldogs have a string of 46 straight seasons with at least one player signing a professional contract. In 2018, three Bulldogs were drafted and a total of four began a professional career.Â
The MLB Draft runs through Wednesday on MLB.com. The first two rounds were conducted Monday with rounds three through 10 on Tuesday and rounds 11-40 today.    Â
Bulldogs In the 2019 MLB Draft
2nd Round: Aaron Schunk, 3B, Colorado Rockies (62ndoverall)
3rd Round: Tony Locey, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (96thoverall)
4thRound: Tim Elliott, RHP, Seattle Mariners (126thoverall)
7thRound: LJ Talley, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays (207thoverall)
14thRound: Zac Kristofak, RHP, Los Angeles Angels (421stoverall)
20thRound: Cam Shepherd, SS, Tampa Bay Rays (608thoverall)
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A 6-1, 187-pound native of Duluth, Ga., Shepherd has started every game at shortstop the past three seasons, a total of 180 games and posted a .972 fielding percentage. He set a school record for a shortstop with a .987 fielding percentage this past season and did not make an error in 30 Southeastern Conference games. He was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team. At the plate in 2019, Shepherd batted .231 with 13 doubles, eight home runs and 31 RBI. He hit six home runs over the final 16 games of the season.Â
The Bulldogs (46-17) earned a National No. 4 seed for the 2019 NCAA Championships and advanced to the NCAA Athens Regional Final. Shepherd was part of a defense that set a school record with a .980 fielding percentage.
Shepherd is the first Bulldog drafted by the Rays since 2017 when pitcher Andrew Gist was selected. Shepherd was a 29thround pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2016 out of Peachtree Ridge High School in Marietta. He is the sixth Bulldog drafted this year, joining third baseman Aaron Schunk (2ndRound, Colorado), pitcher Tony Locey (3rdRound, St. Louis), pitcher Tim Elliott (4thRound, Seattle), second baseman LJ Talley (7thRound, Toronto) and pitcher Zac Kristofak (14thRound, L.A. Angels).
The Bulldogs have a string of 46 straight seasons with at least one player signing a professional contract. In 2018, three Bulldogs were drafted and a total of four began a professional career.Â
The MLB Draft runs through Wednesday on MLB.com. The first two rounds were conducted Monday with rounds three through 10 on Tuesday and rounds 11-40 today.    Â
Bulldogs In the 2019 MLB Draft
2nd Round: Aaron Schunk, 3B, Colorado Rockies (62ndoverall)
3rd Round: Tony Locey, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (96thoverall)
4thRound: Tim Elliott, RHP, Seattle Mariners (126thoverall)
7thRound: LJ Talley, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays (207thoverall)
14thRound: Zac Kristofak, RHP, Los Angeles Angels (421stoverall)
20thRound: Cam Shepherd, SS, Tampa Bay Rays (608thoverall)
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Players Mentioned
RHP
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RHP
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RHP
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