Southeast Missouri State's Tellor taken in 10th round by Atlanta Braves

Southeast Missouri State first baseman and Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Matt Tellor got a call from an Atlanta Braves representative around the time the eighth round of the MLB draft was taking place Friday.

He was asked if he'd be interested in playing for the Braves, and when he answered that he was, the representative told him to keep watching the draft because the team was going to try to select him in the 10th round.

"Well, I was talking to [Southeast coach Steve] Bieser and my adviser ... and they said, 'Just be ready for it, but remember nothing is for certain, nothing's guaranteed,'" Tellor said of the moments spent waiting after that phone call.

Eventually it came when the Braves selected him in the 10th round as the 313th overall pick of the 40-round draft.

"There was still a chance that I wouldn't get picked then," said Tellor, who watched the draft at his family's home in Florida. "But me and my family were huddled around watching it and when we heard my name called I was giving out hugs and my mom was screaming. It was a good time."

Tellor, a second-team Louisville Slugger All-American, batted .386 as a senior while driving in a school-record 71 runs with 15 home runs.

"It's always an exciting day for our program when we have one of our players move on to the professional ranks," Southeast coach Steve Bieser said. "With Matt getting drafted in the 10th round, I think that says a lot about your program to have anybody that goes that high in the draft."

Southeast Missouri State’s Matt Tellor touches home plate with his hand to score against Morehead State catcher Chris Robinson on Andy Lack’s RBI fielder’s choice during the sixth inning March 23 Capaha Field. (Fred Lynch)

The highest a Southeast player has ever been drafted was pitcher Galen McSpadden, who was selected by the Padres in the sixth round of the 1974 draft. Tellor is the highest since Southeast moved to Division I.

Tellor joins former Redhawks Shae Simmons and Trenton Moses in the Braves organization. Both were selected by the Braves in the 2012 draft, and Simmons was called up to the major league team a week ago.

"It seems like we've got a nice little pipeline going with the Atlanta Braves, and hats off to Terry Tripp, who is the area scout for the Braves," Bieser said. "He has a lot of confidence in our program and in our players to turn them in and to work very hard to get those guys drafted from our program."

Although Tellor had been scouted by 20-25 teams throughout the season, the Braves were one that was in contact with him the most.

"The Braves have been there all year since the beginning," Tellor said. "They definitely liked the success they had with the former SEMO players. That's one thing they said they said I had a lot to live up to getting drafted after Shae and Moses -- that they're both performing."

Moses, who was the OVC Player of the Year in 2011 and 2012, texted Tellor after he was drafted saying that he'd see him in a couple of days.

"I guess he's in Orlando right now, and that's where I'm going to be reporting to," Tellor said.

Tellor said he'll find out more information about when he'll report to minicamp in Orlando, Florida, in the coming days.

He again talked to representatives from the Braves organization after he'd been drafted, and when he thanked them for the opportunity he was told thanking them wasn't necessary because he'd earned it.

Southeast Missouri State’s Matt Tellor is congratulated by teammates after his solo home run against Eastern Illinois during the third inning April 17 at Capaha Field. (Fred Lynch)

"He's going to be very successful if he just goes out and continues the exact same things that he's done in our program," Bieser said. "He tried to get better every day and he worked hard to hone his hitting skills, and he's also become a very good defensive first baseman. Just take that same type of game to the pro level and be himself basically, and realize that he's earned that and he deserves to be there and that's something that no one can take away from him."

Southeast senior outfielders Cole Bieser and Derek Gibson, who Steve Bieser believed had a chance to be drafted, were not selected. Prior to the draft, Steve Bieser said that regardless of whether any of the Redhawks were drafted he believed they'd find a way to continue to play baseball, including playing independent baseball.

Tellor was one of 12 OVC players who were selected in the draft.

Tennessee Tech pitcher David Hess was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth round and was the 151st overall selection. Tech third baseman Daniel Miles was drafted by Tampa Bay in the eighth round (247 overall), outfielder Brandon Thomasson was selected by Kansas City in the ninth round (273 overall), pitcher Seth Lucio was taken by San Diego in the 12th round (357 overall) and catcher Jordan Parris was selected by Colorado in the 20th round (593 overall).

Belmont pitcher Austin Coley was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the eighth round as the 251st overall pick, pitcher Greg Brody was drafted by San Francisco in the 11th round (328 overall) while catcher Jamie Ritchie was selected by the Houston Astros in the 13th round (376 overall).

Eastern Illinois pitcher Matt Borens was selected in the 11th round (332 overall) by the Yankees, UT-Martin pitcher Taylor Cox was drafted by San Diego in the 16th round (477 overall) and Jacksonville State outfielder Griff Gordon was taken in the 27th round (812 overall) by the Yankees.