UAlbany’s Dave Kubiak Selected By Tampa Bay In MLB Draft

University at Albany’s Dave Kubiak became the 7th player in the baseball program’s history to be chosen in the Major League Baseball Draft on Wednesday.

The Tampa Bay Rays took the Great Danes pitcher in the 36th round.  Kubiak was the 1,109th player selected in the MLB Draft.

The 6-foot-7, 245-pound right hander, was the Great Danes’ ace pitcher, starting 14 games on the mound this season. He recorded a 4.72 ERA as a senior, and led the UAlbany pitching staff with 73 strikeouts, which tied for fourth on the single-season chart. He threw five complete games, including one shutout, and allowed just 43 earned runs in 82 innings of work.

Kubiak finished his four-year career as the UAlbany program leader with 227 strikeouts and 278 innings pitched. His 82 innings this season was good for second on the single-season record board.

The Southold, N.Y. native becomes the first UAlbany player chosen in the MLB Draft since first baseman Mike Konstanty in 2008. Konstanty was drafted in the 39th round by the Cincinnati Reds, following Tom Hill, who was picked by the Kansas City Royals in the 34th round of 2007’s draft.

Terry Kenny was the first Great Dane to be drafted in 1974, when San Francisco selected him in the ninth round. In the Division I era, Steve Checksfield (Houston, 10th round) was drafted in 2001, Mike Grasso (Atlanta, 11th round) was picked in 2002 and Adam Kroft (San Diego, 30th round was chosen in 2004.