Mariners select eight college players in draft

The Mariners selected eight more players Friday on the second day of the amateur draft (rounds 3 through 10), including six pitchers, an outfielder and a catcher. All are college players, unlike Seattle’s two choices on the first day, both high schoolers, led by projected outfielder Alex Jackson.

Seattle used its third-round pick, 80th overall, on center fielder Austin Cousino from the University of Kentucky. Cousino batted .308 with 23 extra-base hits and 38 RBIs in 61 games. Cousino was a three-time SEC All-Defensive Team selection and was awarded a Gold Glove in 2013. Cousino also was on the USA Baseball National Team (2012-2013), combining to bat .301 (31×103).

Mariners choices:

Fourth round: Ryan Yarbrough, a left-handed pitcher from Old Dominion University, 111th overall. The 6-foot-6, 210-pounder had two seasons at ODU after transferring from Santa Fe College in Gainesville, FL. Yarbrough went 6-7 with a 4.50 ERA and 64 strikeouts during his senior season in 2014. He recorded four starts of seven or more innings without allowing a walk. He was selected in the 20^th round of last year’s draft by Milwaukee, but returned to ODU for his senior season.

Fifth round: Dan Altavilla, a right-handed pitcher from Mercyhurst College, 141st overall. Altavilla was the 2014 Division II National Pitcher of the Year and captured the inaugural Brett Tomko Award as Division II’s most outstanding pitcher. Altavilla struck out a school-record 129 batters, including nine starts in which he struck out 10 or more, including a 19-strikeout performance May 1 vs. West Chester (7.2 innings).

Sixth round: Lane Ratliff, a left-handed pitcher from Jones County Junior College (MS), 171st overall. Ratliff went 8-3 with a 3.08 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 13 starts as a freshman.

Seventh round: Taylor Byrd, a left-handed pitcher from Nicholls State University (LA). The senior went 8-3 with a 1.92 ERA in 14 starts this season and was named Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year, ranking second in the league in ERA and strikeouts (80). He is a native of Petal, MS., and played two seasons at Pearl River Community College.

Eighth round: Cody Kerski, a right-handed pitcher from Sacred Heart University (CT), 231st overall. Kerski went 7-3 with a 2.42 ERA and one complete game in 13 starts as a senior. He struck out 74 and was named second-team All-Northeast Conference and was twice selected as a NEC Pitcher of the Week.

Ninth round: Peter Miller, a right-handed pitcher from Florida State, 261^st overall. Miller appeared in 17 games his senior season, going 3-4 with one save and a 5.14 ERA. He was a 16^th-round selection by the Dodgers in the 2013 draft, but returned to FSU for his senior year.

Tenth round: Adam Martin, a catcher from Western Carolina University, No. 291 overall. Martin was first-team All-Southern Conference after batting .307 with 10 doubles, 14 home runs and 65 RBI in 54 games. He played in 54 of WCU’s 55 games as a senior, making 33 starts behind the plate and 18 in the outfield. Martin hit 34 home runs in his four seasons.

Huskies pitcher goes in fourth round

Washington junior right-handed pitcher Jeff Brigham was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth round (129th). Brigham, from Federal Way,  was 7-4 with a 2.90 ERA, giving up 79 hits, 33 runs (29 earned) in 90 IP. He gave up one run or less in each of his first six starts. Brigham was honorable mention All-Pac-12 and first team Pac-12 All-Academic.