Oakton Grad to Sign with Seattle Mariners

A week after Major League Baseball ended its draft, Oakton High graduate got a call: "Congratulations, you're now a professional baseball player," said a recruiter.

Werman, a 2008 Oakton High graduate, will join the Seattle Mariners organization in the minors after signing paperwork this week, he said. 

"I expect to go out there and have fun, and just give it everything I have," he said. "I've got nothing to lose. They want me to play for them, which is exciting and makes it easier to play. I'm going to go out there and compete and try to help the teams win to get a chance to work my way up."

Werman will fly to Arizona on Thursday for a couple days, but will likely land in either the Pulaski Mariners in Virginia or a team in Washington state.

After not being drafted last week, Werman said he talked with his coaches at the University of Virginia who told him to hang tight while they put out word for him.

"I don't know the whole process, but I got the phone call and that's pretty exciting," Werman said.

Werman will join five UVA alumni in the Seattle organization: Chris Taylor, Andrew Carraway, John Hicks, Danny Hultzen and Steven Proscia. 

"Talking to them, they've some good things about [the organization] and they're enjoying it where they are," he said. "I think the only downside is being away from family on the West Coast, but it's part of baseball and business." 

Named to the second team All-Atlantic Coast Conference, the second baseman led the NCAA Division I in sacrifice bunts with 28 and holds the record for most career sacrifice bunts at UVA. 

To read more Oakton Patch articles on Werman, click here.

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