Kevin Carkeek (Photo courtesy of OU Athletics)

Oakland slugger Carkeek drafted by Houston Astros

Oakland University baseball senior Kevin Carkeek (Arlington Heights, Ill.) was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 25th round (771st overall) of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. Carkeek is the first Oakland baseball player to be drafted since Paul Phillips went in the ninth round in 2005.

“It’s a dream come true for me. It’s what every little kid hopes for when they first step on a baseball field,” Carkeek said. “It’s really exciting to know that I’ll have a chance to play at the next level. I want to keep working hard and see how far I can go in professional baseball.”

Carkeek is a two-time All-Mid-Continent Conference first team selection. This past season he led OU with 17 doubles, nine home runs and 42 RBI despite missing 13 games due to injury. Carkeek maintained a .333 batting average, third on the team, and led the Golden Grizzlies with a .645 slugging percentage. His 17 doubles and .645 slugging percentage were tops in the Mid-Con and he was among the top ten in four additional categories, including home runs (tied for second) and RBI (third).

Carkeek finished his OU career with a .322 batting average, 109 hits, 30 doubles, 15 home runs and 85 RBI while maintaining a .544 slugging percentage in 97 games through two seasons. Prior to joining the Golden Grizzlies in 2006, Carkeek played two years at Eastern Illinois, where he earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honorable mention accolades as a freshman.