SECAUCAS, N.J. - Bloomsburg University baseball standout Tyler Benson (Montville, N.J./Montville Township) has been selected by the San Diego Padres in the 31st round (918th overall) during the final day of the 2017 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft on Wednesday afternoon.
 

Benson becomes just the seventh different player (three players drafted twice) in school history to be drafted during the MLB amateur draft and the first since Matt Karchner was selected in the eighth round (205th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 1989. Karchner went on to pitch for both the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox over the span of six seasons (1995-2000), posting a career record of 21-13.

Last season, the junior had a remarkable campaign as he earned a spot on the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division First Team and was also named to the All-Atlantic Region Second Team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). He earned the accolades as a second baseman - his first collegiate season at the position - after leading the Huskies in a majority of the offensive categories during the 2017 season. Benson batted a team-high .377 (60-of-159) and also led the squad in runs scored (51), hits (60), doubles (17), home runs (8), runs batted in (41), total bases (103), walks (32), slugging percentage (.648), on-base percentage (.505), and stolen bases (15). He ranked third in the league in runs scored and walks, fourth in total bases, and was tied for fifth in hits and doubles. He was also seventh in the conference in home runs, on-base percentage, and stolen bases.
 

He led the Huskies with 18 multiple-hit efforts and had at least one hit in 36 of his 47 games. In fact, Benson reached base, at least once, in 44 of the 47 contests. Meanwhile, he had 13 games in which he drove in at least two runs in a game, including a season-high five runs batted in during a game one victory over Clarion on April 11. Benson also had the first multiple-home run game of his collegiate career when he went deep twice in a game two loss at Millersville on April 29.

Benson's 51 runs scored was tied for the fourth-most in a single season in school history and moved him into a tie, with Trevor Fetterman (1996-99), for fifth-place on the school's all-time list for career runs scored with 126.

Over the course of three seasons with the Huskies, Benson batted .370 (154-of-416) with 39 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs, and 86 runs batted in. He also stole 23 bases and posted a career on-base percentage of .487 while slugging at a .577 clip.

With his All-Region award from the NCBWA, he became only the sixth Bloomsburg University player since 2005 to earn accolades from the organization, joining Austin Edgette (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) (Second Team, 2016), Casey Cooperman (Second Team, 2014), Joey Ianeiro (Third Team, 2011), Vinnie James (Second Team, 2007), and Ryan Wyland (Second Team, 2005) to be honored.

Career Bloomsburg University Draft Picks (according to baseball-reference.com)
1965 - Ronald Kirk (11th round, 211th overall) - Detroit Tigers
1968 - Robert Gibble (24th round, 533rd overall) - Oakland Athletics
1969 - Stephen Klinger (30th round, 704th overall) - Cincinnati Reds
1970 - Stephen Klinger (5th round, 113th overall) - Cincinnati Reds
1970 - Dave Moharter (35th round, 787th overall) - Cincinnati Reds
1971 - Dave Moharter (5th round, 100th overall) - Washington Senators
1978 - Richard Budweg (8th round, 197th overall) - St. Louis Cardinals
1979 - Richard Budweg (10th round, 259th overall) - New York Yankees
1989 - Matt Karchner (8th round, 205th overall) - Kansas City Royals
2017 - Tyler Benson (Montville, N.J./Montville Township) (31st round, 918th overall) - San Diego Padres