Shepherd drafted by Pirates
Third member of family to be drafted; Whitmer drafted by Nationals
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

File photo by Lester Murray BIG HONOR - Kilgore native Jaron Shepherd (above), now at Navarro College, became the third member of his immediate family to be drafted in the Major League Baseball draft on Friday. Jaron was selected 504th overall in the 17th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Former KHS standout Casey Whitmer was also drafted.

Getting drafted in the Major League Baseball amateur draft has become an annual rite of passage for men in the Shepherd household.

For instance, it happened for Ron Shepherd back in 1979, when he was selected after his career at Kilgore High School by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 29th overall pick (in the second round). It happened to Ron's oldest son, Jeremiah, also a KHS standout, who was picked 724th by the New York Yankees in the 24th round in 2003.

And now it's happened again.

Navarro outfielder Jaron Shepherd, a 2007 KHS graduate and multi-sport standout, just like dad and big brother, was drafted on Friday by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jaron was drafted as the 504th overall pick in the draft in the 17th round.

WHITMER

Another former KHS Bulldog, Casey Whitmer, was also drafted. He was selected 901st overall in the 30th round by the Washington Nationals.

Shepherd got the news, he told the Kilgore News Herald Saturday morning, from a Pirates scout to which he'd been talking.

"He called sometime in the early afternoon," Shepherd said. "He told me he'd call me back later to talk about the deal, and everything."

Shepherd has said for weeks since the Bulldogs' season ended that he'd listen to the club that drafted him, because it was an honor to be drafted. But it's likely he'll re- turn to the Navarro program in Corsicana for a second season.

"I actually am not sure right now," he said Saturday. "I want to listen to their offer, and see how it goes."

Ron and Janda Shepherd, who have gone through this three times, were not unprepared for the news, and didn't take it lightly, Jaron said.

"They were pretty excited, too," he said. "They've been behind me 100 percent. My dad made me realize I was one of just 1, 500 kids that got drafted - it's a special deal. It's not something to take for granted."

The Pirates have until Aug. 15 to sign Shepherd, and as mentioned, he could easily also go back to school. Either way, he plans on playing in the Texas Collegiate League this summer for the Coppell Copperheads. Kilgore's new TCL team, the East Texas Pump Jacks, will face Shepherd's Copperheads on a few occasions this season, including here at Driller Park on June 21-22.

Shepherd and another Kilgore standout, Logan Chitwood, helped Navarro to its best regular season ever. The Bulldogs were the best team in the Region XIV Conference during the regular year, losing in the second round of the conference tournament in Mount Pleasant. Navarro went 47-9 overall, setting a new school record for wins in a single season (the previous record was 44).

Going into the postseason tournament, Shep was batting .343 in 140 at-bats, including 12 doubles, three triples, and four home runs, and had 29 RBI.

He went 3-for-3 in a win over Blinn in the first round of the tournament.

Whitmer's parents, Ted and Donna Whitmer, moved from Kilgore shortly after Casey graduated, and decided to go to the Florida State University baseball program in Tallahassee. Casey decided to leave FSU after a season, however, and transferred to Texas, where he played this season.

Whitmer, once chosen the offensive player of the year in district play while at KHS, was used only as a pitcher at UT. The transfer from Florida State had a 1-0 record and a 3.86 ERA in 11 appearances at UT, with two saves. He pitched 23 1/3 innings and allowed 21 hits and 11 runs, 10 earned, with 26 strikeouts.