U's Snelten taken in ninth round by San Francisco

University of Minnesota junior left-handed pitcher DJ Snelten was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the ninth round (282 overall) of the Major League Baseball draft on Friday, June 07, 2013. Drafted out of high school by the San Diego Padres in the 30th round of the 2010 MLB draft, Snelten improved his draft status by 21 rounds after three complete years with Gopher Baseball.

San Francisco has a recent history of drafting Gopher pitchers. In 2011, the Giants drafted Austin Lubinsky in the 36th round and Seth Rosin in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB draft. Snelten joins Tom Windle as the second Gopher to be drafted in the 2013 amateur draft

Snelten, a left-handed pitcher out of Ingelside, Ill., became a first-team All-Big Ten honoree despite missing the non-conference season due to an injury. He moved back into the weekend starting rotation against Ohio State and pitched a one-hit gem and earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors. Snelten finished his junior season with a 2.15 ERA, struck out 42 batters and held a .239 opposing batting average in 58.2 innings pitched. He also helped Minnesota to a 2-0 shutout against Illinois in which the Gophers closed out the regular season with a win. For his shutout performance against Illinois he closed out the year with his second Big Ten Pitcher of the Week accolade.

Scouting report on Snelten from MLB.com:

Pitching behind potential first-rounder Tom Windle in the Minnesota Golden Gophers' rotation, Snelten, a left-hander, has made it worthwhile for scouts to stick around to see him pitch. Snelten's fastball sits in the low-90s and he regularly touches 94 mph. His curveball and changeup both need work, but with some improvement he could have a solid Major League arsenal. He attacks hitters and has good poise on the mound. Snelten is more athletic than his 6-foot-7, 230-pound frame might suggest. He profiles as a starter as a professional. Snelten missed the first month of the season with an elbow injury, but has been healthy since returning in March.