In 2015, the Hurricanes baseball team had its best season in years. The Canes won 50 games, ran away with the ACC Coastal division title and went to the College World Series for the first time since 2008. Such a successful season requires every member of the team to contribute, but five players stood out and played their way into the major leagues.
Andrew Suarez was the first Cane selected in the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft held in June. He was previously selected in 2015, but he opted to come back to school for another year. The San Francisco Giants selected the left-handed pitcher with the 61st overall pick in the second round. Suarez is already the No. 15-ranked prospect in the Giants’ farm system, according to the team’s website, and is 1-0 with a 1.27 ERA after his first nine starts.
The New York Mets selected David Thompson, who led the country in RBIs (90) last season, with the 119th overall pick in the fourth round. Thompson became Miami’s first winner of the ACC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in 2015, and earned first-team All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The third baseman is currently the 20th-rated prospect in the Mets’ farm system and is hitting .228 with three home runs throughout 50 games.
After capturing the ACC’s batting title with a .391 batting average last season, George Iskenderian was chosen No. 211 overall by the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh round. The infielder is hitting .330 with eight stolen bases after 30 games.
The Los Angeles Dodgers rewarded Garrett Kennedy’s breakout season in his senior year with the No. 432 overall pick in the 14th round. After a disappointing 2014 campaign, Kennedy hit .329 with seven home runs and 51 RBIs as a catcher. Kennedy is currently hitting .250 with 13 RBIs through 26 games.
Outfielder Ricky Eusebio was the fifth and final Cane selected in the 2015 MLB draft. The Seattle Mariners picked up Miami’s leadoff hitter with the No. 485 overall pick in the 16th round. Eusebio is hitting .261 with nine stolen bases after his first 37 games in the minors.
Featured image courtesy HurricaneSports.com