Yankees, Mets Tap Into AIA Alumni Pool on First Day of MLB Draft

Scott Bittle became the first Athletes in Action Alumn to be selected in the 2008 Major League Baseball draft when he was taken in the second round by the New York Yankees on Thursday and was joined by fellow AIA alumn Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who was drafted by the Mets in the third round.

Bittle was the 75th overall selection and highest AIA alumn taken since Josh Donaldson was selected by the Cubs as the No. 48 player in the supplemental first round in 2007. Nieuwenhuis was the No. 100 player taken overall and the 23rd pick in the third round by the Mets.

Bittle, who pitched for AIA’s Mineral Wells Steam in the Texas Collegiate League in the summer of 2006 and 2007, anchored the bullpen for Ole Miss this spring. The senior from Texarkana, Texas, notched eight saves with a 1.78 ERA while striking out 130 batters in 70.2 innings. Bittle was dominant for the Rebels in the post-season, striking out 12 of 13 batters faced in a 4.1 inning appearance against Missouri. Bittle also posted a 7-1 record in 2008 and limited hitters to a .145 batting average.

Bittle joined the Steam from Northeast Texas Community College in 2006 and made the TCL All-Star team as one of the team’s top pitchers. Bittle was limited but participated with the Steam again in 2007 and rejected a free agent contract from the Yankees before returning to Ole Miss for his senior campaign.

Bittle is the highest Mineral Wells Steam player to be drafted, surpassing Texas A&M’s Blake Stouffer and Mercer’s Cory Gearrin, who were both taken in the third round of last year’s draft.

Nieuwenhuis hit .400 over the course of his junior season at Azusa Pacific where he patrolled center field for the Cougars. The Highlands Ranch, Colo., native hit 15 homers and drove in 68 runs while helping the Cougars to a 46-12 record. Nieuwenhuis led the team with 84 runs scored and four triples and earned NAIA First Team All-American Honors.

Nieuwenhuis was the spark for the 2007 AIA Alaska Fire squad that captured the Alaska League Championship and earned league MVP honors after hitting .333 with four homers and four triples.

“I really had no idea who was going to pick me, or even if I would go the first day (of the 2-day draft),” Nieuwenhuis said on the Azusa Pacific Athletics website. “I had gotten calls from a lot of different teams, and I didn’t guess it would be the third round, but God is good, and it came earlier than I expected. I was ecstatic.

“Coming out of high school, everyone dreams of signing a professional contract for millions of dollars, but the biggest statement I want other prospective high school athletes to know is that I think I made the best decision of my life to go to Azusa Pacific. To go get a great Christian education while playing baseball at a highly competitive level, that’s something you can’t replace.”