After a four-year drought, the FGCU baseball program saw one of its own selected on the second day of the three-day MLB Draft.
Right-handed pitcher Jason Woodward went in the fourth round, 119th overall, to the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday in Seattle.
Woodward’s season was cut short due to injury, but in his 13 2/3 innings pitched on the mound, he allowed just two earned runs and posted an earned run average of 1.32. He struck out 18 hitters and finished with a 2-0 record.
In 2022 as a Friday starter, Woodward went 6-4 with a 4.11 ERA and a team-high 82 strikeouts in 76.2 innings pitched, holding opposing batters to a .248 batting average.
The slot value for the 119th pick is $557,900.
More: Bishop Verot’s Aidan Knaak leads local high school, FGCU, FSW prospects for 2023 MLB Draft
CSN alum, Duke standout Jay Beshears drafted by San Diego Padres
Beshears was the first local product to be drafted that attended a Southwest Florida high school, as the 6-foot-4 infielder was picked by the San Diego Padres in the sixth round (192nd overall). The slot value for the 192nd pick is valued at $287,700.
After initially starting his prep career at Northwestern, Beshears transferred into the ACC with Duke and led the team with a .333 average at the plate. He was second on the team in runs scored (58), third in doubles (15), second in home runs (15), fourth in walks (31) and tied for third in hits by pitches (13).
In his last full season as a junior at Community School in 2019, Beshears posted an impressive slash line of .561/.659/.947 while also leading the team in runs (30), hits (32), and doubles (10) .
“I am thrilled for Jay and his family,” CSN baseball coach Chad Ott said. “He has worked since eighth grade with a single purpose and established very high bars at every stop along the way. From a CSN baseball and coach’s perspective, it is simply amazing to see Jay’s efforts culminate in his success on draft day.”
Verot’s Knaak likely to go undrafted
As is the case for many high school prospects, the slot bonus that Bishop Verot right-hander Aidan Knaak was seeking was too high for clubs to match, leading him to likely go undrafted when rounds 11-20 conclude Tuesday.
The stock of the right-hander increased in recent weeks following an impressive outing at the MLB Combine, prompting Clemson to make a more aggressive effort to get Knaak on campus and enrolled in classes. Knaak’s fastball got up to 96 MPH, and he struck out three of the four hitters he faced. One of those hitters that struck out against Knaak was Blake Mitchell, the Texas Gatorade Player of the Year who went to the Kansas City Royals with the eighth overall pick.
In 2023, Knaak was a Southwest Florida Baseball Player of the Year finalist after pitching to a 9-3 record with a 1.24 ERA. Knaak struck out an area-leading 116, which ranked fourth statewide. He also walked just nine hitters over 68 innings, posting a WHIP of .750.
Multiple clubs had a first-round grade on Knaak, as he was consistently a strike thrower this season. Teams hit just .174 against him, as he threw 662 of his 957 pitches on the season (69.2%) for strikes.
Follow Southwest Florida Sports Writer Alex Martin on Twitter: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: 2023 MLB Draft: See which players with Southwest Florida ties were selected