CHARLESTON, SC – Citadel starting pitcher Austin Mason was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

The junior right-hander was taken in the 17th round as the 496th overall pick, and is the 34th draft pick to be coached by Fred Jordan at The Citadel.

A native of Greer, South Carolina, Mason finished his Citadel career with a 5.28 earned-run average over 165.1 innings pitched. He started in 32 of his 53 appearances, striking out 126 opponents.

In the 2015 season, Mason posted a 4.19 ERA through 53.2 innings of work and struck out 53 batters over his 25 appearances.

As a sophomore, Mason returned from offseason shoulder surgery to play in 14 games of the 2014 season. He earned an ERA of 5.02 over 57.1, innings, striking out 39 opponents.

In the 2013 season, Mason appeared in 14 games with 13 starts, contributing to his 6.63 ERA. Over 54.1 innings on the mound, the freshman struck out 34 batters.

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