Silver Knights slugger Carey drafted by Braves in 15th round
NASHUA — The first player currently on an active roster in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League taken in this week’s Major League Amateur Draft belongs to the Nashua Silver Knights.
That would be first baseman/outfielder Owen Carey, who was taken in the 15th round, No. 461 overall, by the Atlanta Braves. The former Londonderry High School standout is scheduled to head to Rutgers University in the fall — as well as finish the summer with the Silver Knights — but one wonders if those plans could change.
Meanwhile, former Silver Knight standout Connor Hujsak was taken by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 13th round, No. 396 overall. Goffstown’s Hujsak, the son of former Nashua High School football standout Jim Hujsak, played with Nashua during the 2021 season. Another of Hujsak’s teammates from that 2021 Knights team, Notre Dame infielder Jack Penney, was taken the earliest of any pick with Silver Knight ties, in the fifth round, No. 147 overall.
Finally, a player from the 2020 FCBL championship team, Brady Day, was taken in the 10th round, No. 312 overall. Day was taken by the Braves in the 12th round last year but stayed in school.
Of course the Knights are hoping Carey sticks around. He was named the FCBL Player of the Week for this past week when he had seven RBIs during Nashua’s stretch of three wins over Norwich — including a mammoth homer that left Holman Stadium over the wall in right field. As fellow Londonderry player on the Silver Knights, Shane McNamara said, “You can tell right away he’s a special player.”
The Braves obviously agreed. Carey is hitting .308 with four homers and 24 RBIs and an OPS of .848.