By Jared Shafran

Mike Lyon became the 29th player in Husky history drafted by an MLB team June 6 when he was selected by the New York Yankees in the 24th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Lyon, a Plainville native who graduated last month and was captain of the team last season, is on the heels of a terrific career with the Huskies. With a career batting average of .307 and 32 homers, Lyon has made his mark in the university’s record books.

News of the draft topped off a season of honors for Lyon. On May 20, he was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association first team. Soon after, he was named to the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association’s All-New England Division I first team.

“I was absolutely ecstatic [about the draft pick],” Lyon said.

Lyon was watching the draft at a friend’s house, waiting to see when he would be picked, he said, when an old friend with the Yankees texted him.

“He said that my name was just pulled and I was going to be taken by the Yankees with their next pick,” Lyon said. “My friends and I were all watching online and when it happened, everyone went nuts.”

Lyon will play in his first professional game June 17, taking the field for the Staten Island Yankees, a minor league affiliate of the Yankees that plays in the New York Penn League.

“I am very excited to experience New York in the summer as an adult,” Lyon said. “There is a great view of the Manhattan skyline over the center field fence here at the ballpark.”

As for playing in New York after living in Boston most of his life, Lyon claims that his alliance to the Red Sox will not change.

“I am still a Boston fan at heart,” he said.

The Staten Island Yankee’s first series is June 17-19 against the Brooklyn Cyclones, the minor league affiliate for the New York Mets.

After being drafted, Lyon discussed some of his most memorable games as a Husky during his career. Among those are the early spring visits to Fort Meyers, Fla., to play the Red Sox.

“I got a hit off Justin Masterson this year, and when I made it to first base, I talked with Sean Casey,” he said. “Seeing how well Masterson is pitching with the Red Sox, it’s nice to say that I was able to get a hit off him. … Also this year I had a three-home run game against Hofstra where my last home run was a walk off.”

While Lyon is excited to begin his first season in the minors, he said he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself.

“Things are always changing and in the minor leagues nothing is certain. You never know where you can end up,” he said.