Three Gauchos selected on Day 2 of the MLB Draft
UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Three members of the 2022 Big West Champion UCSB baseball team were selected in the first 10 rounds of the Major League Baseball Draft. Day two of the draft saw infielder Jordan Sprinkle, outfielder Nick Vogt, and right-handed pitcher Cory Lewis get their names called by big league ball clubs.
UC Santa Barbara continues to be a top organization in the NCAA when it comes to sending student-athletes to the MLB as now 56 total Gauchos have made the jump under the direction of head coach Andrew Checketts. The three picks thus far are also tied for the most in the Big West matching Cal Poly.
Jordan Sprinkle – 4th round, pick 131 – Chicago White Sox
The first Gaucho off the board in this year's draft was shortstop Jordan Sprinkle, who led the Big West in steals by a large margin in each of the last two seasons. He is the fourth-highest pick during the Checketts era and has a number of accolades including two Big West All-Conference nods and a 2021 Big West Co-Freshman Field Player of the Year award.
Nick Vogt – 7th round, pick 210 – San Diego Padres
Nick Vogt had a career year this past season being named to the All-Big West Second Team thanks to a .317 batting average and a team-leading 50 runs. He was the top offensive player in the postseason this year as well being named to the Stanford All-Regional Team collecting two homers, four runs, and four RBI in just three games. He joins a crew of former teammates in Cole Cummings and Marcos Castanon who also play within the Padres organization.
Cory Lewis – 9th round, pick 264 – Minnesota Twins
The sole pitcher to come off the board for UCSB in the first 10 rounds was the Gauchos' Friday starter, Cory Lewis. The righty finished the 2022 season with a 9-1 record to go along with a 3.57 ERA and 107 strikeouts, which ranked third in conference. This feat earned him a First Team All-Conference nod and a chance to play pro ball with the Twins organization.
(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics).
