FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (June 10, 2009) - Four Nova Southeastern University baseball players were selected in the 2009 MLB First year Player Draft on Wednesday afternoon. Miles Mikolas, Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg, J.D. Martinez and Michael Fiers were all selected by major league organizations.

Junior pitcher Miles Mikolas (Jupiter, Fla.) was the first Shark taken off the board. He was selected in the seventh round with the 204th overall pick by the San Diego Padres.

Mikolas led the Sharks with a 2.06 earned run average while going 7-2 in 83.0 innings pitched. He threw four complete games, including two shutouts, in 11 starts. Mikolas is among the national leaders with 80 strikeouts to just eight walks on the season. He pitched a complete game three hit shutout at St. Thomas and a four hit complete game shutout at Rollins. He has been selected on three post season teams, 2nd team All-Sunshine State Conference, ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region and 2nd team DAKTRONICS All-South Region.

Miles becomes the highest MLB draft pick in Nova Southeastern baseball program history. Right handed pitcher Derek Antelo was previously the highest pick ever when he was selected in the 10th round by the Pittsburg Pirates in 2005.

First baseman Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg was drafted in the 16th round with the 478 overall pick by the Atlanta Braves.

Spanjer-Furstenburg (Jr., Coral Springs, Fla.) finished the season batting .393 with 15 home runs and a team high 67 runs batted in. His total for RBI's ranks second in the all-time NSU single season record book, tying him with 2007 NSU Hall of Fame inductee Claude Love, who had 67 RBI's in 1995. He was most impressive during conference play; batting .414 with nine home runs and 26 RBI's in just 24 games. Spanjer-Furstenburg also set a single game record, slamming three home runs in a single game at Eckerd College on April 10th. He was selected as a first team All-Sunshine State Conference performer.

Left fielder J.D. Martinez (Jr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) was picked in the 20th round with the 611th overall pick by the Houston Astros.

Martinez had one of the best single seasons at the plate in NSU Baseball history, batting .428 with 15 home runs and 57 runs batted in. He set a single season program record in runs scored (73) while placing second in batting average. He landed in the top ten in slugging percentage (.770), hits (80), home runs (15), RBI's (57), total bases (144) and walks (41). He set the NSU career home run record on April 17th vs. Barry University by hitting his 31st home run of his career. He was selected NCBWA 1st team All-America, 3rd team ABCA/Rawlings All-America and 2nd team Daktronics All-America. Martinez has also earned 2nd team All-SSC, 1st Team ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region, 1st team NCBWA All-South Region and 1st team DAKTRONICS All-South Region honors.

Senior pitcher Michael Fiers (Pompano Beach, Fla.) was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 22nd round with the 676th overall pick.

Fiers was 10-3 on the mound with a 2.65 earned run average in 108.2 innings pitched and led the nation (setting a new NSU single season record) with 145 strikeouts on the season. He compiled three shutouts while holding opposing batters to a .209 batting average. Fiers pitched at least six innings with allowing two runs or less in nine starts in 2009. He was honored as a 3rd team NCBWA All-American, 3rd Team ABCA/Rawlings All-American, 2nd team All-SSC, 1st team ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region, 1st team NCBWA All-South Region and 2nd team DAKTRONICS All-South Region.

""What a great day for NSU baseball!," said NSU head coach Michael Mominey. "There are not too many programs in the country who had four players chosen within the top 22 rounds of this year's draft. This speaks volumes as far as the state of the NSU baseball program and our future. It is a certainly a bitter-sweet feeling as far as three underclassmen being chosen in the top 20 rounds who now have the opportunity to play professional baseball with great organizations. I am confident that they will make the right decisions as they explore their options this summer."

The Sharks set a new program record with 37 NCAA victories in one season in 2009 and concluded the season 37-19.