The MLB Draft continued Monday and for the first time this year an Arizona player had his name called. By the end of the fourth round three UA players had been drafted as outfielder Ryan Holgate, first baseman Branden Boissiere and center fielder Donta' Williams all being selected early.
Holgate was picked by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 70th pick overall as part of the Competitive Balance Round B kicking off a busy day for the Wildcats. The UA right fielder started all 63 games this season and was third on the team with a .351 batting average.
The left-handed power hitter was also third on the team with 11 home runs to go with 56 RBIs, 20 doubles, 49 runs and an OPS of .997. He hit .314 over the course of his career with the Wildcats. His career came to an end with 19 home runs and 101 RBIs.
The MLB slot value for the 70th pick this year is just under $907,000.
Arizona didn't have to wait long for its next player to come off the board as Boissiere was picked at No. 82 overall by the Washington Nationals. The California native was the Wildcats' everyday first baseman, but he was picked as an outfielder by the Nationals.
Boissiere was one of Arizona's key contributors at the plate in the last few seasons, and he put together a strong finish to his career with the Wildcats this year. The left-handed slugger led the team with a .369 batting average, and that included Boissiere going through a rough patch late in the regular season.
He started all 63 games for UA and finished the year with a team-high 94 hits. He had 21 extra base hits this season, including 12 doubles, to go with 63 RBIs and 38 walks. Boissiere also displayed an impressive ability to make important defensive plays as well.
He will finish his career with the Wildcats with a .355 career batting average highlighted by 19 doubles. He made 102 starts in three seasons at Arizona.
Boissiere's slot value at pick No. 82 is set at just over $744,000.
Rounding out the early-round selections on the second day of the MLB Draft was Williams, who helped raise his stock late in the season with strong play that propelled the Wildcats to the College World Series.
The Las Vegas native, who was picked in the fourth round at No. 106 overall by the Baltimore Orioles, shined throughout his junior season both in the field and at the plate. The UA leadoff hitter performed his duties well at the top of the batting order with a .481 on-base percentage to go with .342 batting average and .583 slugging percentage.
Williams scored a team-high 81 runs and was fourth on the team with 17 doubles this season.
He was hit by a pitch (17) more than anyone on the team this season plus he had 50 walks, which was best among Arizona's players.
Williams' slot value at No. 106 in the draft calls for $549,000.
The second day of the draft came to an end with a fourth UA player being selected as left-handed relief pitcher Gil Luna was picked in the ninth round by the Chicago White Sox at No. 275 overall.
Luna was impressive late in the year and finished the season with a 1.69 ERA. He gave up five runs in 21 innings on the mound for UA with 31 strikeouts. The Casa Grande, Arizona native did not participate in College World Series or Super Regional round because of a suspension, but Luna was productive out of the bullpen for the Wildcats 14 appearances this season.
The slot value for the 275th overall pick in this year's draft is set at $152,000.
In addition to the four current Wildcats picked Monday, Arizona had one of its top incoming players selected in one of the early rounds. Las Vegas-Bishop Gorman standout left-handed slugger Tyler Whitaker was selected in the third round by the Houston Astros.
Whitaker was likely to be the eventual center fielder at Arizona, but might now pass on college because of his selection at No. 87 overall. The slot value for that spot in the draft is set at $689,300.
The MLB Draft will wrap up Tuesday with 10 remaining rounds of selections.
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