Jul. 18—The Atlanta Braves selected three high school pitchers and Auburn's closer on Monday, the first day of the Major League Baseball Draft.
The club's first-round pick, at No. 20 overall, was right-hander Owen Murphy from Riverside-Brookfield High in Illinois. Atlanta then took J.R. Ritchie of Bainbridge (Wash.) High at No. 35 overall, and Cole Phillips from Boerne (Texas) High with the 57th overall pick.
The Braves capped the draft's first night — it continues Monday and Tuesday — by drafting Blake Burkhalter, the closer for Auburn's College World Series team this past season.