Three UK baseball players have been selected in the 2009 MLB Draft, according to UK Athletics.

Junior left-handed pitcher James Paxton was selected in the first round of the draft as the 37th overall pick by the Toronto Blue Jays. According to UK Athletics, Paxton, a native of Canada, is UK’s first, first-round selection since 2002 when Joe Blanton, now a starter for the Philadelphia Phillies, was drafted as the 24th overall pick by the Oakland Athletics.

Chris Rusin, a senior southpaw from Canton, Mich., was drafted by the Chicago Cubs as the 140th overall pick in the fourth round of the draft. Rusin’s selection marks only the third time in school history that two UK players have been selected in the top-four rounds of the MLB Draft, according to UK Athletics.

Lexington native Chris Wade was drafted as the 338th overall pick by the Florida Marlins in the 11th round on Wednesday. Wade, a sophomore shortstop, was also selected to the 2009 All-Southeastern Conference coaches’ second-team on Tuesday, which, according to UK Athletics, made him the first UK shortstop to earn All-SEC honors since 1961.

The MLB Draft will conclude on Thursday through the 50th round beginning at 11:30 a.m.