NEW YORK --- Tusculum College right-handed pitcher Rob Currie has been selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 12th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Currie is the 376th overall pick in this year's draft, becoming the highest selected player for Tusculum head coach Doug Jones. Currie becomes the fifth player to be drafted during the Jones' era and 15th overall to sign professionally.

Currie, a 6-6, 240-pound relief pitcher from St. Charles, Ill., was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-American Team last month.

Currie was the ace of the Tusculum bullpen this past season, making 21 appearances where he posted a 5-1 record with a 1.21 earned run average to go along with six saves. The six saves are the fourth-most ever by a Pioneer reliever. Currie limited the opposition to a .213 batting average, while striking out at team-best 57 with only 20 walks in his 52 innings of work.

He has been named to three NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region teams this year, including Daktronics, NCBWA and the American Baseball Coaches Association. Currie was also an All-South Atlantic Conference First Team selection.

"I am really proud of Rob and for all the success he has enjoyed while at Tusculum," said Jones. "When Rob left for summer ball after his junior year, he really dedicated himself to be the best he could be. Rob played a major role in our success the past two seasons. It is always nice to see good things happen to good people. I know that Rob will work hard and he will make the most, of this opportunity."

In his two seasons at Tusculum, Currie posted a career 2.11 ERA in his 38 mound appearances for the Pioneers that included nine starts, including a nine-inning complete game effort in TC's 4-2 win over Catawba College in the 2008 SAC Tournament championship game. For his efforts, he was named to the SAC All-Tournament Team.

Currie has recorded 97 strikeouts in 102.1 innings pitched in a Tusculum uniform. He has a 9-6 career mark to go along with seven career saves, the seventh most in school history.

Currie joins former Pioneer draft selections: Robbie Bouman (Tampa Bay Rays), Eric Butler (Arizona Diamondbacks), Kevin Hammons (Florida Marlins) and Maikol Gonzalez (Colorado Rockies).

Tusculum captured its fourth South Atlantic Conference title in the last five years, while posting a 36-18 record. The Pioneers also earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament, TC's third straight postseason appearance and fifth in the last seven years. Tusculum's five NCAA Tournament showings are the most in conference history.

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