Reds draft Rutgers first baseman O'Grady

In the eighth round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft on Friday, No. 245 overall, the Reds took first baseman Brian O'Grady from Rutgers University.

O'Grady, a 22-year-old from Warminster, Pa., batted .328/.402/.510 with five home runs and 30 RBIs in 54 games this season. He earned all-conference third-team honors.

"It was an unbelievable feeling when I got the call today," O'Grady said on the Rutgers athletics website. "This was my goal and it validates all the hard work put in over the years. It will be an honor to represent Rutgers at the next level, as the program made me into the player I am today. I would like to thank all of my coaches and teammates for all of their support and guidance."

couldnt be more excited to have been drafted by the @Reds cant wait to get on the field and follow in the footsteps of @FlavaFraz21

- Brian O'Grady (@BrianOGrady21) June 6, 2014

The team leader in homers, triples (five) and slugging, O'Grady was also tied for the lead in hits with 67.

"He's a very good athlete," said Chris Buckley, the Reds' senior director of amateur scouting. "He's played a number of positions. In his junior year, he was a center fielder. When you can get a kid that can play first base and play center field, he's got to be a pretty good athlete."

The Reds have taken seven players from Rutgers in the school's history, including third baseman Todd Frazier in 2007 with the 34th overall pick in the first round.

"I am very happy for Brian," Rutgers head coach Joe Litterio said on the school website. "He has worked very hard for this opportunity and I would like to thank him for his contributions to the program over his four years. We wish him the best of luck going forward." The Draft concludes Saturday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at 1 p.m. ET.