SENECA, Pa. (D9Sports) – Dylan Cyphert’s wait is over.

Cyphert, a 2015 Cranberry graduate, was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 17th round of Major League Baseball’s amateur draft Wednesday.

“I’m doing great, I’m so excited. I honestly don’t know what to say,” Cyphert said in an interview with exploreVenango.com shortly after he was selected. “I’ve been dreaming of this since I was a little kid.”

“It’s an opportunity for me, and I’m ready to get started with the Marlins.”

Cyphert, the 509th player selected in the draft, is waiting to hear from team officials as to when and where he will meet with them to sign his contract.

If Cyphert doesn’t end up signing with the Marlins, he could still go to The University of Alabama where he signed a letter of intent in the fall.

However, Cyphert said he has heard good things about the Marlins’ farm system and is looking forward to going to work with their coaches.

Through his advisor, Joe Rosen, Cyphert heard that he may be drafted in the first five to 10 rounds, so the waiting was getting a little nerve-racking for him and his family.

“I was kind of expecting to be picked on the second day (Tuesday), but I’m just very happy it happened,” Cyphert said.

Dylan’s Dad, Dave Cyphert — a former resident of Clarion and Venango Counties — might be even more thrilled with the news.

“I haven’t reached the ground yet,” Dave said. “We’ve been on pins and needles waiting the last few days.”

Advisor Joe Rosen, who will now become Dylan’s agent, told the family that 12 teams were interested, including the Pirates, Marlins, Phillies, Twins, and Cardinals.

“The Twins called Monday to see how signable Dylan was, so we thought he might be taken by them,” Dave said. “Today, the Phillies and Marlins called.”

“When we heard his name, we just looked at each other and said ‘Did we really just hear his name called?’”

Dylan is the first KSAC player to be drafted since Clarion’s Jon Kemmer was picked in the 21st round by Houston in 2013. Kemmer is now in AAA with the Astros.

Dave always felt his son had something special.

“I could even see it in tee ball. It’s been a long road, but we’re happy he gets a chance,” Dave said.

The Cyphert family is ready to follow their son’s career, having sold their home and moved to Brooksville, Florida, about 6 months after he graduated from Cranberry Area High School.

The Cyphert family — Dylan, Mary, Dave, and David.

According to a previous article on exploreVenango.com, Chris Rossetti wrote about Cyphert’s 95 mile per hour fastball and his interesting journey through the ranks of college baseball.

Coming out of Cranberry, where he helped the Berries to the second round of the PIAA playoffs, there was some thought he might be drafted then. And if not, he was committed to play at Penn State.

Cyphert’s name wasn’t called during the 2015 draft, and he decided Penn State wasn’t the right choice so he decided to go to The University of Pittsburgh instead. But that didn’t work out either, and, before ever throwing a collegiate pitch, he transferred again, this time to Gulf Coast State College, a junior college in Panama City, Fla.

He readily admits that his path has been a unique one and takes responsibility for all of the movement while at the same time saying the decision to go to Gulf Coast State College was the best one he ever made.

“Going to junior college was the best thing I ever did,” Cyphert said. “The competition was pretty good, and it definitely prepares you for Division I and professional baseball.”

Cyphert’s numbers at Gulf Coast this year weren’t eye-popping – 5-3 in 13 starts with a 4.57 ERA and 40 walks in 63 innings of work. But he also struck out 71 batter, which is a strikeout rate of 10.19 per nine innings, and again, there is that fastball that reaches the mid-90s.

“I’m still learning to harness 95 (MPH),” Cyphert said. “I think that had something to do with the inconsistency this year. I’m trying to get more of a feel of the speed. I don’t think (the wildness) was mechanical.”

Cyphert said he had to learn to pitch while at Gulf Coast.

“In high school, I threw hard but that’s all I had to do,” Cyphert said. “In college, you have to mix it up and throw your off-speed pitches.”

Cyphert was one of two District 9 alums drafted Wednesday. Johnsonburg’s Cole Peterson, who played at St. Bonaventure, went in the 13th round to the Detroit Tigers. In District 10, Adam Bleday of Titusville was selected in the 27th round by the Houston Astros.