July 28, 2010

ARLINGTON, Texas - UT Arlington junior center fielder Michael Choice (Arlington, Texas), the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, and the Oakland Athletics have agreed to terms with a $2 million signing bonus on Wednesday.

Choice will report to the Athletics spring training facility in Phoenix, Ariz., Thursday, and will eventually report to Oakland's Short-Season Single-A affiliate, Vancouver Canadians.

"I just woke up this morning and got the news," Choice said. "We have been waiting a while, and you just wonder what day everything is going to happen. To get all of that out of the way is great and now I can go play."

Choice was the highest drafted collegiate outfielder since 2006 (Drew Stubbs, Texas - 8th overall - Cincinnati Reds).

"It is an exciting day, it is kind of like draft day all over again," UT Arlington head coach Darin Thomas said. "I'm very happy for him and his family. It is great to see someone get to live a dream like that. And to realize that we were a small part of that is a great deal."

Choice, who has been named to five All-America teams following his junior season, moves to professional baseball after becoming the most decorated baseball student-athlete in UT Arlington history. The UTA program's history includes nine former players that have reached the big leagues, including current stars Hunter Pence and John Lackey.

Choice is the highest drafted Maverick in school history - and the program's first ever first-round pick - and joins Ben Sheets (Louisiana-Monroe, 1999) as the Southland Conference's highest draft picks in league history.

He completes his career with the Mavericks batting .392 (242-for-618) with 170 runs, 33 doubles, eight triples, 34 home runs (school record), 162 RBI, a .636 slugging percentage and a .505 on-base percentage in 166 career games played.

"I've been ready for this moment for a while after the draft," Choice said. "It was just a dream come true to be drafted by an MLB team, and then the next step is to get out on the field and start playing professional baseball. It is a great feeling to know I'm about to get out there."

Choice became the first player in UTA history to lead the team in home runs in three consecutive seasons, collect three straight seasons with at least 50 RBI and to lead the team in home runs and walks in back-to-back seasons.

He broke the school and Southland Conference single-season walks record in 2010 while leading the nation with 76 walks. He became the first UTA player to lead the country in walks. His .568 on-base percentage broke a UTA record while leading the Southland Conference and ranking second in the nation.