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The final round of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft saw three more Gauchos selected from the UCSB baseball team.
Ryan Harvey, Blake Klassen, and Byrce Willits all heard their names called by MLB clubs.
This is the second straight year and the sixth year since 2012 that the Gauchos have led the Big West Conference in draftees, collecting a total of six this season.
The draftees from UCSB are:
— Ryan Harvey 11th round, pick 340 – New York Yankees.
The second pitcher selected from the Gauchos’ staff was none other than righty Ryan Harvey, who early on in the season flourished in a role out of the bullpen as the team’s true closer. The sophomore racked up the fourth-most saves all time in a single season with 11 and earned a Second Team All-Conference nod.
— Blake Klassen – 17th round, pick 501 – Washington Nationals.
His teammates nicknamed him “Deesh,” referring to the sound that comes off of the bat when he finds the barrel. During Big West play, the designated hitter led the league with a .733 slugging percentage and an OPS of 1.169. This was enough to earn him a First Team All-Conference selection.
— Bryce Willits – 18th round, pick 551 – Chicago White Sox.
Joining Jordan Sprinkle in the White Sox organization is the Gauchos’ everyday third baseman and a First Team All-Conference selection. Willits hit the ball, and when he did hit it hard ranking third in the Big West with a .553 slugging percentage over the entire season. He also tallied the third most doubles with 18, ranked fourth with a .983 OPS and ranked fifth with a .430 OBP.
Daniel Moebus-Bowles writes about sports for UCSB.
email: sports@newspress.com
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