Wednesday, June 10, 2015

NAMPA, Idaho — Recent Crusader graduate Jake Reppert tried not to think too much about what was taking place this week in New York.

The left-handed pitcher instead got in a few rounds of golf to “keep the nerves down” he said, while player after player heard their named called during the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies created a whole new set of nerves for Reppert, selecting the Northwest Nazarene pitcher in the 27th round and 804th overall in the draft, making him the first Crusader drafted since Zeb Sneed by the Kansas City Royals in 2012.

“It’s absolutely a dream come true and a moment I will never forget,” said Reppert, who graduated with a degree in Communication: Public Relations last month and helped NNU’s baseball team to its first postseason berth since 1992.

Of course, the nerves still got to Reppert just a bit.

“I had a hard time sleeping last night,” he said, as the draft began on Monday and concluded Wednesday.

The 6-foot-5 lefty, who earned honorable mention All-GNAC honors and was named to the GNAC All-Academic Team this past season, adds he had been following this week’s draft, but not too intently.

Reppert, a native of Monroe, Wash., who transfer to NNU from Bellevue College and played two seasons for the Crusaders, compiled a 5-5 all-time record in 25 games on the hill for NNU.

This spring he set a single-season NNU record for complete-game shutouts, with two, and finished his career pitching 111 innings, striking out 101 batters, compiling a 4.86 ERA and limiting opposing batters to a .288 batting average.

Reppert added of being drafted by the Phillies: “I figured they were among the most likely teams, but I wasn’t really expecting it.”

Now the next “wait and see” moment for the recent NNU grad is finding out where he’ll begin his professional baseball career. The Phillies have a rookie-league team in the Gulf Coast League in Florida — GCL Phillies — along with a short-season Single A team in Williamsport, Pa. — the Williamsport Crosscutters.

Concordia's Esposito Goes in 33rd Round

Nabbed in the 33rd round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Kansas City Royals, senior catcher Nate Esposito became the second Concordia baseball player to be drafted in the past two years today. 

Taken 999th overall, Esposito is the sixth Concordia draftee since 1986. Last year, junior outfielder Blake Drake was chosen in the 18th round by the St. Louis Cardinals and currently leads the club's Single A Peoria (Ill.) squad with 17 extra-base hits, including a team-high six home runs. 

An All-NAIA West pick after leading the Cavaliers to the No. 1-seed in the conference tournament, Esposito was the only Cavalier to play in all 55 games in 2015. Making 54 starts, Esposito hit .338 for the season, the second highest rate on the team while clubbing a team-high 22 doubles and four triples.

Esposito also drove in a team-high 32 RBI. Team's were reluctant on the base paths with Esposito behind the plate as the senior allowed just 16 stolen bases on the season, throwing out nine runners in the process.

Concordia will begin its first season competing in the GNAC this fall.