Former Troy catcher Brooks Bryan was also drafted on Monday, going to the Kansas City Royals in the eighth round.

Dan Kantrovitz, the Cubs’ vice president of scouting, saw an uptick in text messages from scouts when Chicago was facing Houston last month at Daikin Park. For one night, the collective work of the Cubs’ scouting department was in the spotlight.

Kepley was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of the draft at No. 56 overall, being the second Tar Heel to be drafted on Sunday night. He joins catcher Luke Stevenson who was taken by the Seattle Mariners.

The Cubs selected three players with Alabama ties, including Crimson Tide pitcher Kade Snell and Troy pitcher Noah Edders.

The Cubs’ recent track record in the MLB Draft has been identifying players who have the potential to climb quickly to the big leagues. That is a trend that had outfielder Ethan Conrad excited after he heard Chicago call his name in the first round on Sunday night.

Scouting notes on 50 prospects who didn’t make the top 100 but could still hear their names called on draft day.