NEW YORK - Seventeen student-athletes have been selected from six Sunshine State Conference programs during the three-day 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Cooper Bradford, a junior pitcher from Florida Southern College, went the highest of all SSC picks and was eighth of 87 Division II baseballers drafted. The Chicago White Sox selected the right-hander in the 13th round, 380th overall. Along with Bradford, MLB teams took SSC 10 pitchers, including the 2019 SSC Pitcher of the Year Dillon McCollough of Eckerd College.
See Also: Players from the SSC that have played in the MLB
Highlighting the position players taken in the draft is Garrett Wolforth of Nova Southeastern University and Yorvis Torrealba from the University of Tampa. Wolforth was selected in the 14th round by the Cincinnati Reds and was the first SSC field player taken, second overall. Torrealba, the 2019 SSC Player of the Year, was drafted in the 20th round by the Colorado Rockies. An organization in which his father played for five years.
The SSC remains the NCAA Division II leader in MLB draft picks with the PacWest and PSAC tied for the second most players chosen at seven. The SSC's 17 selections in 2019 brings the league's total to 150 draft picks across last 11 years and ties the conference's 2010 draft for most athletes selected.
Eckerd, Rollins College, Tampa, along with Lubbock Christian University and Western Oregon University boast the most selections in Division II at four. Nova Southeastern University and Lynn University each had two players selected, while Florida Southern had one player chosen.
Nine alums of current SSC schools have played at least one game in the MLB this season, they are: Yan Gomes (Barry / Washington Nationals), Tyler Kinley (Barry / Miami Marlins), Daniel Poncedeleon - (Embry-Riddle / St. Louis Cardinals), Matt Joyce - (Florida Southern / Atlanta Braves), Austin Allen (Florida Tech / San Diego), Tommy Kahnle (Lynn, New York Yankees), and Mike Fiers (Nova Southeastern / Oakland Athletics), J.D. Martinez - (Nova Southeastern / Boston Red Sox), and Miles Mikolas - (Nova Southeastern / St. Louis Cardinals).
A full list of the players selected in 2019 can be seen below:
| Rd. |
Pick |
Player |
School |
Pos. |
MLB Team |
| 13 |
380 |
Cooper Bradford |
Florida Southern |
P |
White Sox |
| 14 |
414 |
Garrett Wolforth |
Nova Southeastern |
C |
Reds |
| 15 |
454 |
Garrett Leonard |
Rollins |
P |
Pirates |
| 18 |
530 |
Sammy Peralta |
Tampa |
P |
White Sox |
| 20 |
597 |
Jimmy Robbins |
Rollins |
P |
Blue Jays |
| 20 |
609 |
Yorvis Torrealba |
Tampa |
LF |
Rockies |
| 23 |
678 |
Shayne Fontana |
Lynn |
CF |
Orioles |
| 25 |
758 |
Garrett Hiott |
Eckerd |
CF |
Rays |
| 27 |
798 |
Dillon McCollough |
Eckerd |
P |
Orioles |
| 27 |
816 |
Brock Minich |
Nova Southeastern |
P |
Mariners |
| 27 |
819 |
Cameron Enck |
Rollins |
P |
Rockies |
| 28 |
849 |
Keven Pimentel |
Tampa |
P |
Rockies |
| 29 |
886 |
Whit Drennan |
Rollins |
P |
Astros |
| 30 |
899 |
Tyler Beck |
Tampa |
P |
Twins |
| 30 |
907 |
Mitch Calandra |
Eckerd |
C |
Braves |
| 39 |
1160 |
Tom Archer |
Lynn |
2B |
White Sox |
| 39 |
1168 |
Nick Conti |
Eckerd |
2B |
Mets |
Previous SSC Draft Classes: 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008