June 6, 2008

Chicago, Ill.- UIC junior catcher Kevin Coddington (West Linn, Ore./West Linn H.S./Chemeketa College) was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds during the second day of the Major League Baseball 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

Coddington was taken by the Reds in the 44th round with the 1,319th overall pick in the draft on Friday, June 6.

The 6-foot-5 catcher batted .300 (63-for-210) with three home runs, 14 doubles and 30 RBI for the Flames this past season. Coddington started at catcher in all but two games in 2008, helping UIC win Horizon League regular season and tournament titles and a berth to the NCAA College Station Regional.

Coddington, who batted primarily in the No. 5 spot for the Flames in 2008, featured one of the most selective eyes on the team with a squad-best 27 walks. He was named to the 2008 Horizon League All-Tournament Team and provided one of the most memorable moments of the campaign when he drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth against Valparaiso on May 17, propelling UIC to the regular season crown in dramatic walk-off fashion.

This is the third consecutive year that a UIC player has been taken in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft.