NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion shortstop Zach Rutherford was selected in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2017 MLB Draft on Tuesday.
Rutherford, the 169th overall selection in the draft, becomes the highest-drafted Old Dominion infielder since 2000, when All-American Tim Hummel was selected in the second round.
The 2017 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, Rutherford excelled both at the plate and in the field during his junior campaign this past spring. The Chesapeake native hit .332 with 25 doubles and 56 RBIs and is one of five finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, given to the nation's top shortstop.
In the field, he led the conference with 196 assists, 28 more than any other player in the league, while committing just five errors. Rutherford's .982 fielding percentage also set an ODU single-season record for a shortstop.
In three seasons at ODU, Rutherford has hit .321 with 103 RBIs and owns a fielding percentage of .971. Rutherford, who was a Freshman All-American in 2015, has started all three years at shortstop.
Rutherford becomes the 10th Monarch drafted under head coach Chris Finwood and the third to be drafted in the top 10 rounds.
Rutherford joins former Old Dominion hurler Ryan Yarbrough in the Rays' organization. Yarbrough, a fourth-round selection in 2014 by the Mariners, was traded to the Rays prior to this season and is currently pitching for the AAA Durham Bulls.
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