SECAUCUS, N.J. -- Samford's Alex Lee was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 22^nd round of the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft on Saturday, it was officially announced by the organization. Lee proved to be the second Bulldog chosen in the MLB Draft this season after junior right fielder Heath Quinn was taken Friday in the third round.
 
Samford, the winningest Division I program in the state of Alabama since 2011, has now had 18 players taken in the MLB Draft over the last six years. Prior to this season, four Bulldogs were drafted in 2011, seven Samford players were taken in 2012, a pair was drafted in 2013 and two were taken in 2014.
 
Additionally this year, Samford signee Austin Franklin, a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher from Paxton High School in Florida, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 90^th overall pick in the third round.
 
Before the Bulldogs' current historical run under the tutelage of Head Coach Casey Dunn and his staff, Samford had never had more than one player drafted in a single year in program history.
 
Lee capped off his brilliant two-year Samford career with a .335 batting average this season. The Bulldogs' two-time All-Southern Conference performer also added 11 home runs, 45 RBI and 42 runs scored. Lee started all 61 of Samford's games at first base in 2016 and finished second on the team in batting average (.335), hits (80), on-base percentage (.421) and fielding percentage (.982).
 
On April 25, Lee was named a Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week. He hit .500, slugged 1.000 and had an on-base percentage of .565 as the Bulldogs split a midweek doubleheader with Alabama A&M before taking two of three from Kansas that week.
 
Lee also hit three home runs, scored seven runs and drove in 10 on the week. He had multiple hits in four of his five contests. The Bulldogs' talented senior from Heflin, Alabama, was 2-for-3 with two walks, an RBI and three runs scored in Samford's 18-6, seven-inning win over Alabama A&M before notching another hit, a sacrifice fly and two RBIs in the nightcap.
 
Against Kansas, Lee had two hits in each contest. He registered a solo homer and an RBI single in game one, followed by a two-homer, five-RBI effort in game two, both Samford wins. Lee closed out his week with two more singles as Kansas salvaged the final game of the series.
 
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