Pirates assign drafted catcher Derek Berg of Army to Florida Complex League

Army baseball coach Chris Tracz wishes Derek Berg well on his pickup by the Pittsburgh Pirates, but mainly he wants his catcher to stay out of the hospital.

The only player on Army’s 40-man roster to require emergency room visits this season was Berg, spiked twice in a one-month span early this season.

“There was nothing funny about them (at the time),’’ Tracz said. “They were funny later on once we knew he was okay.’’

Berg missed just one game following both incidents and showed the durability, statistics and leadership that the Black Knights needed to complete a sixth-consecutive Patriot League playoff championship and NCAA tournament berth. Berg made 53 starts, ranked fourth in team hitting (.290), tied for the team lead in home runs (15) and drove in 38 runs. His .986 fielding percentage, at a position that has the most chances by far, ranked No. 2 among regulars.

A month after Army posted two close setbacks to Georgia and Georgia Tech in an NCAA regional, Berg was selected by the Pirates in the 10th round of the Major League Baseball Draft – he thought his viewing of the second day of selections was coming to an end when the Bucs picked him with just eight spots left on a long day of anticipation.

“Just waiting to get a phone call and waiting to see your name up there,’’ Berg said. “But then once it happens I was really, really excited … that’s it.’’ Berg said he “enjoyed” the rest of the day with his family and got plenty of phone calls from coaches and past and current teammates.

Berg met with the Pirates on Monday, took a physical and signed a minor-league contact. On Tuesday, he watched the Bucs host the Cardinals. He’s headed for the Florida Complex League.

Army head coach Chris Tracz said Berg is a better catcher now than he was two years ago when he named him as the backstop.

“I think when you build a baseball player, you build them like him,’’ Tracz said. “He’s so athletic, mentally and physically. He's kind of the ideal player. He can catch and throw with anybody in the country, and offensively, he can change the game with a swing.

“He's got a chance to play for a long time because his skill set is going to translate really well in pro ball,’’ Tracz added. “They look at him big picture: His ability to stick in pro ball and be able to handle high-level pitching receiving-wise and then handle high-level pitching offensively is there, and that's a rare combo.’’

More: Wallkill pitcher Kye DeGroat drafted by the Kansas City Royals, passes on Texas Longhorns

More: Goshen pitcher Alex Ramos goes undrafted, signs free agent deal with Baltimore Orioles

Pittsburgh’s affiliates include the low-Class A Bradenton Pirates, the high-Class A Greensboro Grasshoppers, Class AA Altoona Curve and Class AAA Indianapolis Indians.

Tracz noted a handful of free agent signings of Army grads are still possible, notably for third baseman Sam Ruta (.275, 15 home runs, 53 RBI) and pitcher Tanner Gresham (1-0, 1 save, 3.00 ERA). Gresham has been pitching with the MLB Draft League’s Trenton Thunder, posting a 2.70 ERA in three relief outings.

kmcmillan@th-record.com

X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Pirates assign drafted catcher Derek Berg of Army to Florida Complex League