OMAHA, Neb. — Sixty NCAA baseball players selected in the 2019 MLB draft are in Omaha, participating in the 2019 College World Series.
Vanderbilt leads the eight-team field with 13 draft selections including the highest pick, J.J. Bleday, at No. 4 overall. Bleday is one of three first-rounders left in the tournament.
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Below is a breakdown of each school's representation in the annual 40-round first-year player draft, which was held June 3-5. All 30 MLB teams selected at least one player in the CWS field.
| SCHOOL | NO. OF DRAFT PICKS | FIRST-ROUND PICKS |
|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt | 13 | 1 |
| Mississippi State | 11 | 1 |
| Louisville | 8 | 0 |
| Arkansas | 7 | 0 |
| Texas Tech | 7 | 1 |
| Auburn | 5 | 0 |
| Michigan | 5 | 0 |
| Florida State | 4 | 0 |
*Data taken from MLB.com's Draft Tracker
ARKANSAS
Dominic Fletcher (OF) | Arizona Diamondbacks, CBB, No. 75 overall
Isaiah Campbell (RHP) | Seattle Mariners, CBB, No. 76 overall
Matt Cronin (LHP) | Washington Nationals, Round 4, No. 123 overall
Jack Kenley (SS) | Detroit Tigers, Round 8, No. 232 overall
Jacob Kostyschock (RHP) | Colorado Rockies, Round 8, No. 249 overall
Cody Scroggins (RHP) | Boston Red Sox, Round 9, No. 287 overall
Zack Plunkett (C) | Los Angeles Dodgers, Round 20, No. 611 overall
Campbell, Arkansas' ace, was the second straight Razorback selected in the Competitive Balance B round. The 6-4 righty enters the College World Series with a 7-1 record and 2.30 ERA in 2019.
“I was with my family at my apartment, watching with my roommates," Campbell recalled at Friday's CWS media day. "It was nerve-racking, I had some teams call me earlier and it didn’t go. But then the Mariners called and I got drafted 76th overall. I’m happy where I’m at, I know two of their pitching guys and they know how to work their pitchers.”
AUBURN
Will Holland (SS) | Minnesota Twins, Round 5, No. 149 overall
Davis Daniel (RHP) | Los Angeles Angles, Round 7, No. 211 overall
Edouard Julien (2B) | Minnesota Twins, Round 18, No. 539 overall
Jack Owen (LHP) | St. Louis Cardinals, Round 21, No. 635 overall
Elliott Anderson (LHP) | Kansas City Royals, Round 23, No. 679 overall
Owen will start Auburn's first College World Series game since 1997 on Sunday against Mississippi State. The southpaw was the fourth of five Tigers to get selected in the MLB draft.
"We were all kind of pulling for each other, rooting for each other [to hear our names called]," Owen said Friday. "But at the same time, we all love Auburn and want to be here. So either way, it was just a cool experience."
FLORIDA STATE
Drew Mendoza (3B) | Washington Nationals, Round 3, No. 94 overall
J.C. Flowers (RHP) | Pittsburgh Pirates, Round 4, No. 124 overall
Drew Parrish (LHP) | Kansas City Royals, Round 8, No. 229 overall
Mike Salvatore (SS) | Seattle Mariners, Round 9, No. 276 overall
LOUISVILLE
Logan Wyatt (1B) | San Francisco Giants, Round 2, No. 51 overall
Michael McAvene (RHP) | Chicago Cubs, Round 3, No. 103 overall
Tyler Fitzgerald (SS) | San Francisco Giants, Round 4, 116 overall
Nick Bennett (LHP) | Milwaukee Brewers, Round 6, No. 193 overall
Bryan Hoeing (RHP) | Miami Marlins, Round 7, No. 201 overall
Jake Snider (OF) | Pittsburgh Pirates, Round 20, No. 604 overall
Drew Campbell (OF) | Atlanta Braves, Round 23, No. 697 overall
Shay Smiddy (RHP) | Tampa Bay Rays, Round 36, No. 1,088 overall
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MICHIGAN
Tommy Henry (LHP) | Arizona Diamondbacks, CBB, No. 74 overall
Karl Kauffmann (RHP) | Colorado Rockies, CBB, No. 77 overall
Jordan Brewer (OF) | Houston Astros, Round 3, No. 106 overall
Jack Weisenburger (RHP) | Oakland Athletics, Round 20, No. 614 overall
Jimmy Kerr (3B) | Detroit Tigers, Round 33, No. 982 overall
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MISSISSIPPI STATE
Ethan Small (LHP) | Milwaukee Brewers, Round 1, No. 28 overall
Jake Mangum (OF) | New York Mets, Round 4, No. 118 overall
Colby White (RHP) | Tampa Bay Rays, Round 6, No. 188 overall
Trysten Barlow (LHP) | Colorado Rockies, Round 16, No. 489 overall
Dustin Skelton (OF) | Miami Marlins, Round 18, No. 531 overall
Jared Liebelt (RHP) | Arizona Diamondbacks, Round 20, No. 602 overall
Small, the highest selection among pitchers here in Omaha, will take the mound in MSU's opener against Auburn, opposite Owen. When it came to draft day this year, the No. 28 overall pick passed on his parents' offer to go out and celebrate, opting for a more intimate gathering around a laptop stream.
"Just being around people who care about me and support me. That was the biggest thing to me. Not going out to a restaurant and doing all that," Small said. "When it finally happened, it was just, you can't put it into words. Just joy and a tremendous relief of something you worked so hard for, for so long."
TEXAS TECH
Josh Jung (3B) | Texas Rangers, Round 1, No. 8 overall
Gabe Holt (OF) | Milwaukee Brewers, Round 7, No. 223 overall
Caleb Kilian (RHP) | San Francisco Giants, Round 8, No. 236 overall
Taylor Floyd (RHP) | Milwaukee Brewers, Round 10, No. 313 overall
John McMillon (RHP) | Detroit Tigers, Round 11, No. 322 overall
Caleb Freeman (RHP) | Chicago White Sox, Round 15, No. 440 overall
Cameron Warren (1B) | Cincinnati Reds, Round 22, No. 654 overall
Jung, a San Antonio native, has deep Texas roots. Both of his parents attended the University of Texas, meaning he "bled [Texas] orange" most of his life. Trading in the burnt orange for Red Raiders black and red, he's hit .348 with 32 homers in three seasons. Now he's prepared to begin his professional career with another Lone Star State team.
"It's pretty special, I'd say, being able to stay in Texas," Jung said Friday. Jung is a Yankees fan, but he said he rooted for the Rangers along the way as he followed his favorite player's career as a kid: Alex Rodriguez.
VANDERBILT
J.J. Bleday (OF) | Miami Marlins, Round 1, No. 4 overall
Drake Fellows (RHP) | San Diego Padres, Round 6, No. 173 overall
Philip Clarke (C) | Toronto Blue Jays, Round 9, No. 267 overall
Ethan Paul (SS) | Pittsburgh Pirates, Round 9, No. 274 overall
Stephen Scott (OF) | Boston Red Sox, Round 10, No. 317 overall
Zach King (LHP) | Miami Marlins, Round 13, No. 381 overall
Jackson Gillis (LHP) | Milwaukee Brewers, Round 13, No. 403 overall
Joe Gobillot (LHP) | Tampa Bay Rays, Round 16, No. 488 overall
A.J. Franklin (LHP) | Kansas City Royals, Round 17, No. 499 overall
Patrick Raby (RHP) | Cincinnati Reds, Round 17, No. 504 overall
Pat DeMarco (OF) | New York Yankees, Round 17, No. 525 overall
Ty Duvall (C) | Oakland Athletics, Round 25, No. 764 overall
Julian Infante (1B) | Miami Marlins, Round 36, No. 1,071 overall
No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman is also in Omaha this weekend, though his Oregon Beavers aren't here to defend their national title. Rutschman was named Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Award winner to close out his standout junior season.
“Crazy couple of days. The craziest being about 10 minutes before Baltimore was on the clock and starting to get the whirlwind of calls. About two minutes before they called my name I finally kind of knew. It was fun," Rutschman told NCAA.com after receiving the Dick Howser Award on Saturday.
“Just enjoy it, because it only happens once. Enjoy the memories and be in the moment.”
