Joe Mihalics

BUFFALO, NY - Senior shortstop Joe Mihalics (Tonawanda, NY/Timon-St. Jude) was ranked 16th in Baseball America's draft scouting report of New York state in a list of 25 potential Major League Baseball draft prospects, the magazine released Friday, also giving New York a four-star rating, meaning it could be a banner year for New York in the draft.

Mihalics is not the only member of the Big 4 on the list, as Niagara has three players included in the top 25 after finishing second in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in each of the last two years. Right-hander James Avery is a potential second to fifth round pick and is ranked fourth in the state and right-hander Dan Griffin (5th) and second baseman Reed Eastley (24th) also make the list. Craig Hansen, a right-handed closer from St. John's, is the lone player from New York listed as a potential first-round pick in the draft, which begins Tuesday and wraps up the next day.

A tri-captain of this year's squad, Mihalics enjoyed a record-breaking career at UB, as he became the first player in school history to reach 200 hits, finishing his career with 234 to go along with his hefty .322 average. He also broke the school's record for runs, crossing the plate 136 times in his career. He also set UB single-season records for hits (76, 2004) and runs (43, 2004), as well as entering UB's career top 10 in RBIs (97, fourth), triples (12, third), doubles (30, fifth) and games played (191, second).

The 5-7 shortstop could become the first University at Buffalo player selected in the Major League Draft since Bob Williams and Marty Cerny, both pitchers, were selected in the 1986 draft. He would be the first position player to enter professional baseball since Paul Daddario, a shortstop, was drafted in 1983.

Buffalo finished the season 19-30-1 under sixth-year head coach Bill Breene.