FORT MYERS, Fla.- We continue our countdown of the Top 10 FSW Athletics Moments of the 2020-2021 year today with our #2 moment; Bucs Baseball Dominating Draft Day.
After putting together the best season in program history, the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers had garnered the attention of scouts from every Major League Baseball organization. In a May prospect rankings from Perfect Game, the Bucs had four players in the top 400 prospects in the draft, more than any other junior college in the country and even more than the likes of long time Division I Baseball blue bloods Texas, USC, Miami, Oklahoma, and Michigan. That all came to fruition as the Major League Baseball Draft got underway in Denver just over a week ago as an NJCAA best two Bucs were drafted in the top 10 rounds of the draft and four were taken in the top 13 rounds, with a fifth player signing in free agency.
The Bucs didn't have to wait long to have one of their players' names called on the big stage as in the 6th round with the 177th overall pick, ace Carlos Rodriguez was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers, making him the highest ever drafted FSW player. Three rounds later, it was another Buc's turn as Suncoast Conference Pitcher of the Year Alex Ayala was snagged by the hometown Tampa Bay Rays in the 9th round to give the Bucs a pair of top 10 rounders for the first time in program history. It continued right away on day three of the draft as 11 picks into the 11th round, Marc Davis was taken by the Washington Nationals making the Bucs the only NJCAA program in the country with three picks to that point. Just moments later a fourth FSW hurler was taken as All-American closer Antonio Knowles was popped by the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers with the final pick of the 13th round, making the Bucs and the University of Florida the only two programs at any level in the state of Florida with four players drafted in the top 13 rounds of the draft.
It wasn't just the four current Bucs pitchers making a splash in the draft though as former FSW pitcher Mitch Myers was selected in the 12th round by the Oakland Athletics and after the draft, FSW freshman Abimelec Ortiz signed a free agent contract with the Texas Rangers.
FSW ended up with more players drafted or signed than any other team in the NJCAA and ended up third in the state of Florida behind only Florida and Florida State and in front of Division I programs like Miami, UCF, FAU, FGCU, and USF.
Check back in tomorrow as we wrap up our countdown with the top moment of the 2020-2021 FSW Athletics Year which shouldn't be a hard one to guess!
#10- Roberts Breaks Steals Record
#9- Williams' Monster Double-Double
#8- Bucs Volleyball Clinches First Conference Title
#7- Knowles Becomes Bucs Baseball's First 1st Team All-American
#6- Bucs Softball Completes Furious Comeback at Nationals
#5- Seven Former Bucs Play in March Madness
#4- Bucs Volleyball Qualifies For First National Tournament
#3- Reid's Catch Saves Game/Makes SportsCenter Top 10
#2- Bucs Baseball Dominates Draft Day
#1- 7/23/21