July 3, 2008

Follow McMurray with the Billings Mustangs.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara catcher Chris McMurray, deciding to forgo his senior season at the school, signed a professional contract with the Cincinnati Reds after being drafted by the National League team in June.

McMurray was chosen by Cincinnati in the 18th round (539th overall) of the 2008 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft. The Mission Viejo, Calif. native was the highest pick of seven Gauchos taken in the draft.

A six-foot-one, 195-pound right-hander, McMurray was assigned to Billings, a rookie ball affiliate of Cincinnati located in Montana. To date, he has played in two games for the Mustangs, collecting his first professional hit and RBI in a 3-2 win over Great Falls on July 2. Billings leads the Pioneer League North Division with a 10-6 record.

As a junior at UCSB in 2008, McMurray played in 46 games and started 40 behind the dish for the Gauchos. He batted .312 with 48 hits, 28 runs scored, and 39 RBI. His eight home runs and .545 slugging percentage ranked second on the team. McMurray was also solid defensively, throwing out 14 would-be base stealers and posting a .990 fielding percentage, which ranked eighth in the Big West Conference.

McMurray was named to the 2008 All-Big West Second Team.

-- UCSBGauchos.com --