(Photo by Daniel Castrillon / New Day Review)
The University of Central Florida can now boast another Major League Baseball product. On Tuesday, right-handed pitcher Robby Howell was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 10th round with the 287th-overall pick.
Howell is the second Knight to be drafted in the 2017 MLB Draft after righty Jason Bahr was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the fifth round with the 156th-overall pick.
For Howell, the senior finished with a 10-1 record and was named the American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year as he helped UCF to a regular-season champion. Howell finished his senior season with a 3.32 ERA with 94 strikeouts in 103.0 innings. He allowed 38 earned runs on eight home runs and 93 hits.
Howell finishes his UCF career tied for the most starts by a Knight with 50. He also is fourth all-time in wins with 26 and sixth all-time with 236 strikeouts. His senior season was highlighted by an 11-strikeout performance in a complete-game, 8-1 win over the University of Connecticut on April 21.
UCF finished the 2017 season with one of its best results. The Knights defeated the University of South Florida for a two-way share of the AAC regular-season title, posting a 40-22 (15-9 in AAC) record. UCF also made it to its first regional tournament since 2012.
