Pirates promote former No. 1 draft pick to Class AA

Pirates promote former No. 1 draft pick to Class AA
EDs: Recasts; CORRECTS spelling of John in 1st graf.
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PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Right-hander John VanBenschoten, the Pittsburgh Pirates' first-round draft pick in 2001, was promoted from Class A Lynchburg to Class AA Altoona on Friday.
VanBenschoten was 6-0 with 49 strikeouts and a 2.22 ERA in nine starts at Lynchburg. Last season with Class A Hickory in the South Atlantic League, VanBenschoten was 11-4 with a 2.80 ERA in 27 starts.
He is expected to start for the Curve on Monday against the Binghamton Mets.
VanBenschoten was named the Mid-American Conference's player of the year in his final season at Kent State, hitting .443 with 30 homers, 79 RBIs and 22 stolen bases. He also went 2-2 as a pitcher with a 2.77 ERA.
The Pirates were one of the few teams to project VanBenschoten as a pitcher going into the draft. Most teams scouted him as a position player.