2016 MLB Draft Central

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Missouri State pitcher Sam Perez was the first Missouri Valley Conference player to be chosen in the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, as the Miami Marlins selected the senior right-hander in the fifth round with the 143rd overall pick on the second day of the 40-round amateur draft Friday afternoon.

With Perez's selection by Miami, Missouri State extended an impressive string of talent production that has resulted in at least one Bear being picked in 30 of the last 31 MLB Drafts dating back to 1986. Overall, the Bears have produced 134 players who have gone on to sign professional contracts over their 53 years as a varsity program, including 114 during Keith Guttin's 34-year tenure as head coach.

Perez saved his best work for his final season as a Bear, earning MVC All-Tournament honors with three clutch relief performances in just four days to help lock up MSU victories at the Valley meet in Terre Haute last month. He finished off his Bears career in memorable fashion, going 8-0 overall and logging 22.2 consecutive scoreless innings over his last six outings. Perez was dominant throughout the spring, totaling an MVC-best 112 strikeouts in a Missouri State single-season record 36 appearances. He also led all Valley pitchers in opponent average (.196) and ranked sixth in both victories (8) and ERA (2.86).

The Branson, Mo., product earned a pair of victories at the MVC Championship to reach the 20-win mark for his career and climbed to fifth on the Bears' single-season strikeout chart, moving past three-time All-American Nick Petree on that list. He concluded his career with a 0.909 win percentage (20-2), matching Greg Reed for the best mark in the 53-year history of the program. Additionally, Perez became just the fourth MSU hurler to reach 80 career mound appearances and the 10th Bear to top the 100-strikeout plateau in a season.

The 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft concludes Saturday with rounds 11-40, beginning at 11 a.m. (Central).