BY MICHAEL KELLY
Gazette Sportswriter
VESTAL — The Anderson family now has two Major League draft picks.
Two days after Shenendehowa senior pitcher Ian Anderson became the third overall selection in the June 9 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Atlanta Braves, the Toronto Blue Jays selected his twin brother and teammate Ben Anderson in the 26th Round, the 792nd overall selection.
“It’s been a crazy weekend for our family and for this team,” Ben Anderson said. “I don’t even know if that news has hit me yet.”
Ben Anderson, 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, catches his brother and others, but is also a very effective pitcher who has committed to Binghamton University.
“Mid- to upper-80s fastball,” Baseball America writer Hudson Belinsky wrote of Ben Anderson’s scouting report. “Projectible build.”
Shenendehowa won its first-ever state title the day Ben Anderson was drafted, winning two games. Ian Anderson won the semifinal game earlier in the day 3-0. Ben Anderson caught that game, and caught the second, a thrilling 7-6 walk-off win over Webster Schroeder in the title game.
All-in-all, a good week for the Andersons.
“That’s beautiful and it’s [well-deserved],” Shenendehowa head coach Greg Christodulu said of Ben Anderson being drafted. “Ben, he’s just selfless. He’s given to this team so much.
“Him being drafted is just icing on the cake.”
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