A pair of pitchers, Frank Rubio and David Lee, and second baseman Deacon Liput were each chosen Wednesday, the last day of the MLB draft. Lee was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 27th round while Rubio (San Francisco Giants) and Liput (Los Angeles Dodgers) both went in the 29th round. Catcher/first baseman JJ Schwarz was selected in the 38th round by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Eight Gators were drafted this year. Under coach Kevin O’Sullivan, 81 players have been drafted out of Florida, including seven in the first round.
Lee, a junior college transfer from nearby Sante Fe, played sparingly this season. He did not allow a run in 2.0 innings pitched with three strikeouts.
Rubio, who graduated last month with a degree in Criminology, has a 3.86 earned run average over 88.2 career innings. In 2017, he has tied his career high with 23 appearances and had a 4.05 ERA in 26.2 innings.
Liput, a sophomore-eligible draftee, is a .248 career hitter with five home runs and 66 RBIs. He leads the team with 12 stolen bases on the season and had a team-best .417 average in last weekend’s Super Regional win over Wake Forest.
Schwarz leads the Gators this season with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs. In his career, Schwarz has a .298 batting average with 37 home runs and 186 RBIs. He has led Florida in RBIs in each of his three seasons on campus (73 in 2015, 60 in 2016).
Pitcher Alex Faedo was picked in the first round Monday by Detroit. On Tuesday, shortstop Dalton Guthrie (Phillies) and catcher Mike Rivera (Indians) were picked in the sixth round, while catcher Mark Kolozsvary (Reds) was picked in the seventh round.
