By WESLEY HALLMAN / Sports Editor

Former Oak Mountain High School baseball standout Bradley Hendrix was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft on June 7 following his senior season at Auburn University.

Hendrix, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound right-handed pitcher, was selected by the Rays with pick No. 690 in the 22nd round of the draft. Owning a career 5.40 earned run average in 78 total appearances during his career, Hendrix’s 68 career relief appearances are tied for sixth all-time in Auburn history with Steven Register. Hendrix finished his Auburn career with a 14-8 record on the mound.

Hendrix, who was selected by the Cincinnati Reds with pick No. 907 in the 30th round of the 2010 MLB Draft before turning down a contract offer and returning to Auburn for his senior season, finished with a 2-1 record and a 4.82 ERA in 13 appearances, including three starts, during his final season on the Plains.

Hendrix’s best outing as a senior came April 27 in a non-conference game against Texas Southern University. Hendrix started on the mound and allowed only one earned run on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks in five innings in the Tigers’ 11-1 win over Texas Southern.

Hendrix finished with a 4-2 record with a 5.35 ERA in 22 relief appearances as a junior. Hendrix helped the Tigers stave off elimination in the 2010 NCAA Regional at Auburn by giving up just two earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and four walks in a 5 1/3 inning relief appearance in a 17-8 win over Southern Miss in an elimination game June 6.

Hendrix compiled a 7-3 mark with a 5.09 ERA in 24 relief appearances as a sophomore.

Hendrix started out his Auburn career splitting his time as a starting pitcher and pitching out of the bullpen.

Hendrix went 1-2 on the mound with a 6.04 ERA in 19 appearances, including seven starts, as a freshman in 2008. Hendrix spent five weeks as Auburn’s Sunday starter in his first season.

Hendrix’s longest outing during his career came in Auburn’s 4-3 win over Tennessee in a Southeastern Conference game March 30, 2007.

Hendrix, the son of former UNA football standout Brad Hendrix who played for the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Padres in the National Football League, gave up only two earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 5 2/3 innings in the win over the Vols.

Hendrix also shined at the plate in his senior season at Oak Mountain in 2006, where he finished with a .424 batting average under former Eagles’ coach and Auburn baseball standout Tommy Youngblood.