June 5, 2001

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - University of Virginia baseball players Jon Benick (Glen Lyon, Pa./Greater Naticoke) and Hunter Wyant (White Hall, Va./Western Albemarle) were selected in the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft. Benick was chosen as the 270th overall pick in the ninth round by the San Diego Padres, while Wyant was taken with the 482nd overall pick in the 16th round by the Florida Marlins.

Benick, a fourth-year infielder, started 52 of the 55 games he appeared in for the Cavaliers during the 2001 season. For the year, he batted .297 with 209 at-bats and recorded 62 hits, 57 RBI and 37 runs. Benick posted 18 home runs, 14 doubles and had a .622 slugging percentage. He gathered 88 putouts, 46 assists and posted a .937 fielding percentage. Benick was also a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts. Benick's RBI, home runs and slugging percentage totals were team-highs.

Benick finished his UVa career ranked as one of the top players in several career statistical categories. He finished second all-time at Virginia in home runs (35), third all-time in RBI (162), fifth all-time in at-bats (700), fifth all-time in total bases (372), sixth all-time in doubles (45), sixth all-time in slugging percentage (.549), seventh all-time in hits (220) and tenth all-time in games played (185). Benick also holds the Virginia single season record for the most hits with 88 in 1999. He was named a first team All-ACC selection in 2000, a second team All-ACC pick in 1999 and made the 2000 ACC All-Tournament team.

Wyant, a fourth-year shortstop, started all 56 games for UVa in 2001. For the season, he batted .363 batting with 237 at-bats and recorded 86 hits, 50 RBI and scored 48 runs. Wyant tallied 16 doubles, eight home runs and seven triples and had a .591 slugging percentage. He gathered 142 assists, 87 putouts and turned-in a .920 fielding percentage. Wyant also mustered 140 total bases and was 8-for-12 in stolen base attempts. His batting average, hits, runs, doubles, triples, assists and total bases totals were team-highs.

Wyant finished sixth all-time at Virginia with nine triples and eighth all-time with 209 career hits. He set the all-time UVa single season record for triples with seven in 2001 when he hit his seventh triple of the year on May 1, 2001. Wyant also turned in the second highest number of hits (86), at-bats (237) and total bases (140) in a single season at Virginia in 2001. On March 12, 2001, Wyant accomplished one of baseball's rare feats when he hit for "The Cycle" in UVa's 18-7 victory over High Point after going 4-for-5 at the plate with a career-high five RBI.

The selections of Benick and Wyant in the MLB Draft marked the 14th consecutive season that a baseball player has been drafted from Virginia. Since 1966, 50 players from UVa have been selected in the Major League Draft. The Cavaliers have now had 35 players chosen in the last 13 consecutive drafts, including a season-high five players taken in the 1995 draft.

- UVa -