Newberry's Haltiwanger, Tusculum's Butler Selected in MLB Draft
June 10, 2005

NEW YORK - Newberry College senior pitcher Russell Haltiwanger was selected by the Cincinnati Reds Tuesday afternoon in the second day of Major League Baseball's amateur draft. Also, Tusculum College pitcher Eric Butler was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 43rd round.

Haltiwanger was drafted in the 29th round, and was the 872nd pick overall. He will be assigned to rookie league ball at either Sarasota, Fla., or Billings, Mont.

In three seasons with the Indians, Haltiwanger compiled a 14-11 record with 201 strikeouts in 190 2/3 innings.

Butler, a 6-4, 235-pound right-handed pitcher, is coming off an 8-6 season where he posted a 3.31 earned run average. In his 15 starts, he tossed four complete games, struck out 76 and limited the opposition to hit on .226 against him in his 98 innings of work. He shined late in the season as he won four of his last five starts, posting a 1.65 ERA during that span.

In his last start of the season, he tossed a two-hit shutout against No. 9 Tampa in the opening game of the 2005 NCAA Division II Tournament. For his efforts, Butler was named to the NCAA South Region All-Tournament squad.

In his two seasons with the Pioneers, Butler has gone 15-11 with a 3.35 career ERA. He was named to the 2004 All-South Atlantic Conference First Team as he went 7-5 during his freshman season with a 3.40 ERA.

"I know Eric has always dreamed of being drafted and having the chance to pitch at the next level," said Tusculum head coach Doug Jones. "I personally believe that Eric has a chance to have a great professional career. We just have to wait and see if this is going to be the best situation for Eric. He is in a very good situation right now. If things don’t work out financially with Arizona, he can come back to school and try and improve his draft status next year. There is no doubt that Eric will pitch at the next level, but the question is when."

Butler, a native of Morristown, Tenn., played his prep baseball at East High School where he was an All-State selection on the mound. He becomes the second player under Coach Jones' tutelage to be drafted. Former All-SAC shortstop Robbie Bouman was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 2004 Draft.

Tusculum is coming off its best season in school history as the Pioneers posted a 44-17 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second time in three years. TC also claimed its first South Atlantic Conference Baseball Championship and became the first team in league history to win the SAC Tournament with six consecutive victories after dropping its opening tournament contest.

Tusculum College, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA, is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference which is comprised of eight colleges and universities in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.