The Washington Nationals selected TCU pitcher Matt Purke as the No. 96 pick in the MLB draft Tuesday. Purke was named unanimous Freshman of the Year by Baseball America in 2010 and went undefeated through the entire 2010 season.

Purke was also instrumental in leading the Frogs to their first ever College World Series appearance that year.

Purke’s sophomore season was marred by injuries and appeared in only 11 games this season, causing his draft stock to drop because of concerns over his health.

For his career, Purke has a 21-1 record with an ERA of 2.61. He threw 169 innings, striking out 203 batters while walking only 54Purke was initially drafted out in the first round by the Texas Rangers, but enrolled at TCU after the two parties failed to reach an agreement.

The official TCU baseball Twitter feed offered their congratulations on getting selected.

“Congratulations to Matt Purke…drafted in the third round by the Washington Nationals,” according to the team’s feed.

Kevin Goldstein, a writer for Baseball Prospectus, said the Nationals will do their best to sign the sophomore lefty.

“It’s risky to draft him anywhere based on the money he’ll ask for, but the Nationals will definitely be aggressive in trying to get it done,” Goldstein wrote in an email. “It’s certainly risky, but you do see this happen. Basically, the Nationals used the pick to have exclusive negotiating rights.”

Purke and the Nationals have until August 15 to come to terms on a contract. If they do not, Purke would most likely pitch for the Frogs for his junior season.

Junior Kyle Winkler and senior Steven Maxwell, the other two draft-eligible starters for the Frogs, have yet to be selected.

Be sure to follow @TCU360 on Twitter for the latest updates on the draft.