Oklahoma Sooners’ relief pitcher and former Plainsmen standout Tyson Seng was drafted Wednesday in day three of the Major League Baseball amateur draft. Seng was selected in the 33rd round by the New York Mets.

Seng, 23, said he was contacted by Steve Gossett of the Mets Wednesday morning and the day progressed from there.

“It was a good day,” Seng said. “It started this morning when the Mets called and said I had a pretty good chance to get drafted today. But until your name is called, you just never know.”

Seng said he was home watching ESPN Sports Center and had the Major League draft tracker on when he heard his name called.

“It is always a dream,” he said. “You always have thoughts of playing at the next level and playing as high as you can. It feels good when your dreams are realized.”

Seng believes he will sign a contract in the next few days.

“We are pretty excited and real proud of him,” Tyson’s father Tom Seng said. “He put in a lot of work and effort ever since eight-under little league baseball.

“We are pretty excited about his future.”

Seng was drafted by the Mets following a career at OU that saw him letter for the Sooners in each of the past four seasons. He was used mostly as a relief pitcher this season and tied for the OU team lead in 2011 with 23 appearances.

Prior to his arrival at OU, Seng was a four-year letter-winner at Enid High School, batting .340 with 70 RBI and 80 stolen bases in his Plainsmen career which included trips to the state tournament in 2005 and 2006.

He also was a member of the Enid Majors team that captured the American Legion World Series crown in 2005 and lettered in basketball while at EHS, earning All-State honors in 2006.

“I am really happy for him,” said Bill Mayberry, Seng’s American Legion coach. “To get drafted at the end of his senior year, New York wants him to come right in and play.

“Being a senior in college, being drafted in the 33rd round doesn’t matter. He is going to be able to  keep playing baseball.

“The timing is so important. They want you to go play now and not have to develop over years.

“I can’t express how happy I am for him.”

Realizing his dream nearly became a nightmare in Seng’s third year at OU when he decided to leave the game.

“My third year, I decided to take a break. I was switching back and forth from pitching to defense and I got burned out,” Seng said. “I came home and coached the Enid Majors and when I saw the desire those kids had to make it to the next level, it made me respect the game more and I had a different understanding of the game.”

After resurrecting his career, Seng went to the bullpen and flourished there, proving to Mets scouts he was a good reliever.

“I have gotten used to coming out of the bullpen,” he said. “I believe being a short reliever is in my best interest but I’ll do whatever they want me to do.

“When I’ve been challenged, I think I’ve lived up to them. I’m looking forward to the challenge and it’s something I’ll work hard for.

“Any time you’ve been in college for four or five years and you get drafted, you are ready because you have gone through it. You have to go in with the attitude you’re going to make it to the bigs.”

“This is my time and I’m ready to go.”



Sports editor Dave Ruthenberg contributed to this report.