NEW YORK -- Harmen Sidhu, who was named the recipient of the 2013 Tino Martinez Award as the most outstanding player in NCAA Division II baseball this past season, became the 41st student-athlete in Sonoma State history on Saturday to be selected in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft when the Tampa Bay Rays called his name in the 20th round as the 608th overall pick.  It marks the seventh straight year that an SSU player has been drafted by an MLB team.

Sidhu, a native of Martinez, Calif., who prepped at College Park HS before playing a couple of seasons at Diablo Valley College, wrapped up his two-year stint with the Seawolves last month, but not before he put an indelible mark on the record books.  The right-hander went 10-1 and broke a school (and conference) record for lowest earned run average by a starting pitcher, sporting a nation's-best 0.98 ERA in 82.2 innings of work.  He struck out 93 batters this season (second-most in the CCAA) and allowed just 47 hits, 11 runs (nine earned) and 23 walks.  Sidhu gave up just five extra base hits (four doubles and one triple) to the 323 batters he faced in 2013.

In addition to a record-breaking season, Sidhu catapulted to the top of several all-time statistical categories, including lowest-career ERA (1.56) and lowest-career opponent batting average (.186), compiling a 17-2 record in 25 career appearances (all starts).  In 150 total innings over the past two years, he allowed 99 hits (including 14 doubles, one triple and one home run), 33 runs (26 earned) and 48 walks while striking out 161 batters, which is fourth on the program's all-time list in that category.

After the season, Sidhu was named to First Team All-CCAA, First Team All-West Region and earned First Team All-America honors by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and was a Second Team All-America selection by Daktronics, Inc., before being tabbed as the most outstanding player in Division II baseball.

In addition to his stellar play on the field, Sidhu was outstanding in the classroom as well.  For posting a 3.54 grade point average in communications, he was named to the 2013 Capital One Division II Academic All-District® Baseball Team, which was selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in May.

A total of eight CCAA players were selected in the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft that took place last Thursday, Friday and Saturday in New York.  Cal State L.A. pitcher Jordan Sechler was the first player from the CCAA chosen when he was taken in the 19th round by the Atlanta Braves.  The Oakland A's took Scott Masik, also from CSULA, following Sidhu as the third conference player to have his name called.  Charles Sharrer of Cal State East Bay went in the 26th round by the Chicago White Sox, Carlos Avila of Cal State Dominguez Hills in the 32nd round by the Minnesota Twins, Ivory Thomas of Cal State Dominguez Hills in the 34th round by the Twins, Nick Parent of Cal State Monterey Bay in the 36th round by the Chicago White Sox and Dillon Moyer of UC San Diego in the 38th round to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pitching accounted for nearly 54 percent of the players taken in the 2013 draft, and right-handed pitchers were far and away the most popular selection (39 percent -- 475 of 1,216).  Three traditional baseball hotbeds -- California, Texas and Florida -- combined for an amazing 39 percent of players drafted.  California supplied nearly 18 percent of the draftees on its own, and after the top three states, only Georgia (3.9 percent) weighed in at more than 3.5 percent of the total.

A complete list of Sonoma State student-athletes that have been signed or drafted by MLB teams over the years is available by clicking here.  Former Seawolf Joshua Nervis was the last SSU player drafted; he was selected in the 38th round by the Cleveland Indians in 2012.