Lancers show their talents for pro scouts and coaches.
The baseball team at California Baptist University currently leads the 2016 Major League Draft with the most NCAA Division II athletes selected.
CBU has gotten interest and could have more Lancers in the major leagues.
It is the 15th consecutive Major League Baseball scout day under Gary Adcock, head coach of baseball. Scout day is for draft-eligible players to be evaluated by major league scouts. This year’s draft day occurred Oct. 24.
Draft-eligible players can either be in their third year of college, a redshirt sophomore or at least 21 years old.
It is a one-day event that lasts about two hours and takes the players through a pro-style workout.
It includes a 60-yard dash, infield and outfield repetitions, an inner-squad game and for pitchers, throwing against five hitters. Only draft-eligible players wear shirts with numbers on them to stand out to the scouts.
If a scout notices something likable, the scout will hand envelopes with questionnaires to the head coach or contact the players directly. Adcock was handed about 30 envelopes at the end of the day.
“Even though it won’t happen for all of them, their dream is to play higher, so it’s also a way I can help feed that dream for them,” Adcock said.
If a player did well at draft day, it will create a reason for scouts to come back in the spring to follow up with the player.
Thirty-one Lancers have been drafted over the past 36 years, 20 of those players during Adcock’s 14 years at CBU. There has been one Lancer selected in the MLB draft each year for the last eight years.
Justin Montgomery, junior criminal justice major and pitcher, is the Lancers’ biggest prospect. Montgomery drew 20 scouts to watch him throw. Montgomery was able to meet with a Boston Red Sox scout the following day.
“I came here just to play baseball,” Montgomery said. “I didn’t think I’d get this opportunity, but it’s here and I’m going to take full advantage of it.”
Montgomery said he has been in contact with a few scouts but the Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays are showing the most interest.
Andrew Bernstein, senior accounting major and pitcher, also has a shot at the draft.
“It’s cool to be recognized for your hard work,” Bernstein said. “The fact that they are out there taking their time watching you shows that you’re almost there.”
Players who received interest by teams on scout day will be further evaluated in the spring.
A draft prospect is not guaranteed come June. However, a scout could tell the player he might be high up on a team’s list for picks.
Montgomery said they do not know who will draft them until the team picks in that specific round of the draft.
“It’s a big accomplishment to even have a professional team talking to you and looking at you,” said Dylan Stowell, graduate student in business administration and pitcher.
The next MLB draft will take place in June 2018.
