Courtesy: Cincinnati Athletics

CINCINNATI -- University of Cincinnati baseball player Ian Happ (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) capped off a successful 2015 campaign after being selected as the ninth overall pick in the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Chicago Cubs on Monday evening. With the selection, he becomes the highest draft pick in UC baseball history, making him the only Bearcats player to land in the first round since the draft began in 1965.

The junior becomes just the fifth player in program history to be drafted within the first three rounds and the first since Dave Sala was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round in 1986. Robert Sagers (second round, 1977), David Jakubs (third round, 1969) and Billy Wolf (third round, 1965) round out the list.

The University of Cincinnati has had 19 players drafted since 2005, including MLB players Josh Harrison (sixth round, 2008) and Tony Campana (13th round, 2008). Former Bearcat and two-time World Series Champion Kevin Youkilis, who recently had his jersey retired by the program, was drafted in the eighth round of the 2001 draft by the Boston Red Sox. In total, Happ becomes Cincinnati's 50th MLB draft selection.

Happ was named the 2015 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and finished the season as the league leader in batting average (.369), slugging percentage (.672), on-base percentage (.492), total bases (133) and walks (46).

He was named First Team Capital One Academic All-America last week in addition to earning spots on the All-America Second Team by Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball and College Sports Madness. Happ also was named one of 21 semifinalists for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, given to the best amateur player in the country.

Happ is the second player drafted under second-year head coach Ty Neal, joining Conner Walsh who was picked in the 12th round of last year's draft by the Chicago White Sox.