SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State pitcher Kyle Finnegan will have the opportunity to pursue a professional career after the Oakland A's selected him in the sixth round of the 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft Friday afternoon. Finnegan was the 191^st overall selection and first active Bobcat chosen in 2013.
                 
Finnegan's selection marks the fifth consecutive season in which a Bobcat has been selected within the first 10 rounds of the draft, starting with Paul Goldschmidt (eighth) and Ben Theriot (ninth) in 2009. In 2010, Jason Martinson was selected in the fifth round while Kyle Kubitza (third) and Carson Smith (eighth) went in 2011.
 
Last season, Jeff McVaney was selected in the eighth round, so Finnegan is the highest Bobcat taken in the draft since Kubitza in 2011 and the 31^st Bobcat selected under the tutelage of Head Coach Ty Harrington since he took over the program in 2000. Finnegan is the 46^th Texas State player ever drafted.
 
“It was a crazy, crazy experience, waiting to hear your name called. Finally, once it happened, everybody started yelling,” Finnegan said from a draft party at his home. “When we finally settled down, I kind of realized what just happened and was overcome with excitement. It was a cool experience.”
 
This season, Finnegan was second on the team in strikeouts, finishing with 64 and an opponents' batting average of .275. He pitched 65.2 innings with 10 starts, a 5-3 record, and a 4.66 earned run average in 19 appearances. He was fourth in the Western Athletic Conference in batters struck out looking (26) and 10^th in overall strikeouts.
 
“I never could have made it to where I am today without the coaching staff at Texas State,” Finnegan said. “They put me in the best possible positions to succeed and always pushed me to get better.”
 
The Texas State coaching staff isn't the only group of people for which Finnegan is thankful.
 
“Thanks to the Texas State fans and support groups for always coming out to the games and cheering us on,” he said. “Without you, we wouldn't be able to have as much fun as we do out on the field.”
 
The junior righty saw time as both a starter and a reliever this season, and he said he enjoys aspects of each role as he considers his future.
 
“As a starter, you have more control of the game, and I like that aspect. But you can't not like the possibility of being a team's closer and coming in those high intensity moments. That's really exciting as well.”
 
Another exciting aspect of Finnegan's selection is that he was chosen by the Oakland A's, a team known for adept drafting decisions with a knack for developing talent.
 
“I'm really excited that it was the Oakland A's. They're a great organization, and I couldn't be happier to play for them,” Finnegan said. “That pitching staff last year did some incredible things, and I'm just excited to get in there and start working and hopefully what they saw in me will come out on the field.”
 
Texas State signee Jacob Rhame was also selected Friday. The Los Angeles Dodgers chose him in the sixth round as the 184^th selection. Him and Finnegan were just seven spots apart and were consecutive Texans selected. Rhame was set to transfer from Grayson College and is also a right-handed pitcher.
 
The final day of the 2013 MLB Draft will start at 1 p.m. Saturday.