June 9, 2010
WCU and SoCon in 2010 MLB Draft 
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina had two players taken during the three-day Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft which concluded late Wednesday afternoon. Daniel Ottone, a senior right-handed pitcher, and Michael White, an incoming transfer pitcher for next season, were drafted during the 50-round event.
Ottone was taken by the San Diego Padres in the 33rd round with the 994th overall pick, while White was drafted in the 13th round with the 399th overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers. All told, 23 players from the Southern Conference representing eight schools were taken during the 2010 draft.
San Diego took two players from the SoCon including Ottone and Bryan Altman from The Citadel, while Milwaukee selected three from the conference including Elon's Daniel Britt and Mike Melillo in addition to White.
According to available records, Ottone is the first Catamount player ever drafted by the Padres organization while White is the fourth WCU player to be taken by Milwaukee, the first since David Pember in 1999. The other two were Stephen Pritchard in the 22nd round in 1994 (599th pick) and Dan Kyslinger in the fifth round of the 1992 draft (136th pick). Also, in 2001, former catcher Matt Price was signed as a free agent by the Brewers.
WCU has had two players make it to the Majors with the Brewers including Pember and Mark DiFelice, who was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 1998. Paul Menhart is the only former Catamount to ever make it to the big leagues with the Padres, doing so in 1997.
Ottone, who graduated from WCU this past May, was a four-year member of the WCU baseball team, serving as a team captain during his senior season. The Cary, N.C., native posted a career 5-7 record and a 4.77 ERA, transitioning from the bullpen to occasional starter back to the bullpen before becoming one of the top closers in the SoCon.
For his four-year career, Ottone posted two of the top 10 single-season best performances in saves with eight saves in 2009 and seven this past season. All told, his 15 career saves rank him sixth in school history.
Ottone finishes his WCU career with 100 strikeouts against 41 walks in 105.2 innings pitched. Amongst his five career starts were two against perennial power, Clemson, back during the 2008 season. Over his career, he limited opponents to a .267 batting average against which included a career-low .213 average against in 2010 with just six walks against 21 K's.
White, who signed a National Letter of Intent with Western Carolina back in December 2009, was taken in the 13th round by the Milwaukee Brewers - the same club that drafted him in the 33rd round out of high school. White was the 13th player taken by the Brewers overall and was the eighth right-handed pitcher taken by the Crew.
Last season at Walters State, White earned first team National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) Division I All-America honors after posting a 10-0 overall record on the mound with an impressive 2.18 ERA in helping the Senators post a 40-8 overall record. He claimed All-Tennessee Community Athletic Association (TCCAA) honors and was the group's Pitcher of the Year.
Overall, in two seasons at Walters State, White compiled a 13-1 overall record with 137 strikeouts against only 47 walks through 119.2 innings. He allowed 92 hits, 48 runs - only 36 of which were earned - while tossing eight complete games.
