Eight 'Eaters Chosen in 2019 MLB Draft
June 05, 2019 | Baseball
IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball was highlighted throughout the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft with eight selections, among the most for the program in a single year.
In all, seven current Anteaters and one incoming player were selected in the 40 rounds of the 2019 draft. UCI's highest amount of nine came in 2010 with eight of those being Anteaters and a ninth incoming player. Three other years UCI had eight participants selected in 2005, 2007, and 2008. The list of Anteaters selected all-time grows to 109 draftees with another 24 joining organizations as undrafted free agents.
UC Irvine's first selections came on day two with two players drafted within six spots in the draft in the fourth round. Junior starter Andre Pallante was selected first with the 125th overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals. Junior infielder Brandon Lewis followed at pick No. 131 staying within Southern California with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Pallante and Lewis are the 16th and 17th Anteaters all-time to be selected within the first five rounds. This draft marks the third time (2014, 2017) in program history that two Anteaters were taken within the first five rounds.
Pallante is the ninth Anteater to be drafted into the Cardinals organization and sixth that is a pitcher.
Lewis is the third Anteater to be selected by the Dodgers organization all-time joining Kyle Hooper and Sam Moore who were selected in back-to-back drafts in 2013 and 2014.
Two more Anteaters were selected early on Day Three just 40 picks apart. Junior starter Tanner Brubaker was chosen in the 11th round by the Minnesota Twins, 329th overall. Junior SS Christian Koss followed in the next round going 369th overall in the 12th round by the Colorado Rockies.
For the program, its just the second time four players have been selected within the first 13 rounds joining the 2007 squad who also had four.
Brubaker joins two other Anteaters playing in the Twins organization in Royce Lewis and Calvin Faucher. He becomes the ninth all-time selection by Minnesota. Koss also joins an Anteater in his organization with current Rockie Chris Rabago. Three Anteaters have been selected by Colorado now with Koss, Rabago, and Christian Bergman who rose through to make his debut in the Major Leagues with the Rockies.
A fifth Anteater was selected in senior pitcher Taylor Rashi going in the 23rd round. Rashi is the 686th overall pick selected by the San Francisco Giants, just the second 'Eater to join that organization along with Aaron Lowenstein in 2008.
UC Irvine added a fourth and fifth draft selection on Day Three - one that's put in 81 games as a pitcher and another signed to join UCI on 2019-20. Senior pitcher Jordan Bocko was selected in the 28th round, 843rd overall, by the Washington Nationals. Bocko is the first Anteater ever drafted by the organization and the only 'Eater taken specifically in the 28th round. A junior college transfer, Josh Ibarra, was selected in the 30th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, 911th overall. Ibarra is the second Anteater selected by the Dodgers in this draft, and is a pitcher who comes from Golden West College, the fourth incoming player over the past three drafts and fifth in the past six to be selected in the draft
The sixth Anteater of the day went in the 31st round, 919th overall, in junior outfielder Mikey Filia. He's the fifth Anteater taken by the organization added to multiple Anteaters in the 70s signed as undrafted free agents.
In all, seven current Anteaters and one incoming player were selected in the 40 rounds of the 2019 draft. UCI's highest amount of nine came in 2010 with eight of those being Anteaters and a ninth incoming player. Three other years UCI had eight participants selected in 2005, 2007, and 2008. The list of Anteaters selected all-time grows to 109 draftees with another 24 joining organizations as undrafted free agents.
UC Irvine's first selections came on day two with two players drafted within six spots in the draft in the fourth round. Junior starter Andre Pallante was selected first with the 125th overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals. Junior infielder Brandon Lewis followed at pick No. 131 staying within Southern California with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Pallante and Lewis are the 16th and 17th Anteaters all-time to be selected within the first five rounds. This draft marks the third time (2014, 2017) in program history that two Anteaters were taken within the first five rounds.
Pallante is the ninth Anteater to be drafted into the Cardinals organization and sixth that is a pitcher.
Lewis is the third Anteater to be selected by the Dodgers organization all-time joining Kyle Hooper and Sam Moore who were selected in back-to-back drafts in 2013 and 2014.
Two more Anteaters were selected early on Day Three just 40 picks apart. Junior starter Tanner Brubaker was chosen in the 11th round by the Minnesota Twins, 329th overall. Junior SS Christian Koss followed in the next round going 369th overall in the 12th round by the Colorado Rockies.
For the program, its just the second time four players have been selected within the first 13 rounds joining the 2007 squad who also had four.
Brubaker joins two other Anteaters playing in the Twins organization in Royce Lewis and Calvin Faucher. He becomes the ninth all-time selection by Minnesota. Koss also joins an Anteater in his organization with current Rockie Chris Rabago. Three Anteaters have been selected by Colorado now with Koss, Rabago, and Christian Bergman who rose through to make his debut in the Major Leagues with the Rockies.
A fifth Anteater was selected in senior pitcher Taylor Rashi going in the 23rd round. Rashi is the 686th overall pick selected by the San Francisco Giants, just the second 'Eater to join that organization along with Aaron Lowenstein in 2008.
UC Irvine added a fourth and fifth draft selection on Day Three - one that's put in 81 games as a pitcher and another signed to join UCI on 2019-20. Senior pitcher Jordan Bocko was selected in the 28th round, 843rd overall, by the Washington Nationals. Bocko is the first Anteater ever drafted by the organization and the only 'Eater taken specifically in the 28th round. A junior college transfer, Josh Ibarra, was selected in the 30th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, 911th overall. Ibarra is the second Anteater selected by the Dodgers in this draft, and is a pitcher who comes from Golden West College, the fourth incoming player over the past three drafts and fifth in the past six to be selected in the draft
The sixth Anteater of the day went in the 31st round, 919th overall, in junior outfielder Mikey Filia. He's the fifth Anteater taken by the organization added to multiple Anteaters in the 70s signed as undrafted free agents.
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