Sixteen Big West Conference student-athletes were selected on the final day of the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Draft, bumping the league’s draftee total to 27.

The 2016 Big West Conference Champions, Cal State Fullerton, led the field with seven selections, which included five pitchers from the No. 1 pitching staff in the country.  Pitcher Chad Hockin was the first of four Titans to hear their names announced during day two of the draft.  On day three, three more Titans were picked with pitcher Scott Serigstad leading off for the team in the 15th round as the 441st overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers.  The transfer out of Orange Coast College led the Titans with 27 appearances out of the bullpen and also recorded a team-high four saves for the Titans. Serigstad posted a 2-1 record with a 1.22 ERA, allowing just seven earned runs in 51.2 innings pitched. while fanning 55 batters.

The Gauchos finished second in the league with five players draft.   Shane Bieber, who earned his 12th win of the season tonight in the Louisville Super Regional, was the highest Gaucho picked, going in the fourth round to the Cleveland Indians.  He was the lone Gaucho to be nabbed on day two as his fellow teammates were all selected on day three.  Center fielder Andrew Calica didn’t wait long to hear his name called on day two, going in the 11th round as the 332nd overall pick to the Cleveland Indians.  Calica currently sports a career slash line of .295/.428/.382 and is the program record-holder for hits by pitch with 51. The outfielder batted over .300 in his first two full seasons and has had an OBP over .400 in his all three of his full campaigns. A stellar defender with great instincts and a better first step, he didn’t make the first error of his career until this season.

Long Beach State, who witnessed Dirtbag Garrett Hampson become the first Big West student-athlete selected on day two, concluded the draft with four total draftees. Hampson, the 2016 Big West Defensive Player of the Year, started every game and played every single inning at shortstop during his three seasons in Long Beach. He was a .303 career hitter in college, amassing 213 career hits, which ranks seventh on LBSU’s all-time hits list. Hampson easily led the Dirtbags with 55 runs scored in the 2016 season, adding 75 hits, 26 RBIs and a .387 on-base percentage.  Joining Hampson to round out the LBSU quartet were pitchers Austin McGeorge (7th round), Chris Mathewson (19th) and Lucas Jacobsen (27th).

Cal Poly, CSUN and UC Riverside each had three players drafted while UC Irvine earned two selections.