By JOHN BOHNENKAMP
Spencer Nivens played in just 13 games with the Burlington Bees last season, but the outfielder from Missouri State became a part of the franchise’s long history on Monday.
Nivens was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the fifth round of the Major League Baseball draft, becoming the first former Bee to be drafted in the three years the team has been in the Prospect League since losing its minor-league affiliation with MLB.
“That’s really awesome,” said Bees manager Owen Oreskovich, who managed Nivens last season. “Especially for the Bees and the Prospect League. You have a kid come in here and do what he did — he did a fantastic job when he was here — it puts a little name on this league and the talent that can come from it.”
Nivens, an outfielder, hit .315 in 61 plate appearances with the Bees last season, with seven doubles, two home runs and 11 runs batted in. He was 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts.
Nivens was the Missouri Valley Conference’s player of the year this season, hitting .341 with 14 home runs and 45 RBIs. He reached base safely in 53 of 56 games and ranked among the top 10 in almost every offensive category in the conference.
“It’s all on that kid,” Oreskovich said. “That kid is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met in my life. Phenomenal human being. You can’t say too many good things about that kid, because you’ll talk for hours. He’s incredible on the baseball field, as you can see.”
Among the other players with Prospect League connections selected in the draft was Clinton pitcher Jared Simpson, a left-hander from Iowa who went in the eighth round to the Washington Nationals. Simpson is 1-1 with a 1.29 earned run average with the LumberKings this season after going 4-3 with Iowa.
Photo: Bees outfielder Spencer Nivens hits a home run in a game against Illinois Valley last season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)
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