Hogs get called, but not Knight
FAYETTEVILLE — A combined six players and signees for the Arkansas Razorbacks were selected Tuesday in the Major League Baseball amateur draft, but the biggest news centered on who wasn’t picked.
Blaine Knight, a draft-eligible sophomore pitcher from Bryant ranked as the No. 58 draft prospect by MLB. com and No. 87 by Baseball America, hasn’t been selected through 10 of the draft’s 40 rounds.
According to a source, Knight has received interest from several teams but none have been willing to match
undisclosed asking price for a signing bonus.
Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn said Friday he was optimistic Knight could return for his junior season to improve his draft position.
Knight, 8-4 this season with a 3.28 ERA and 96 strikeouts in a 902/3 innings, is the second-best college prospect remaining in the draft, according to MLB.com.
Pitchers Daniel Tillo, a University of Arkansas, Fayetteville signee, and junior Trevor Stephan were the first players with ties to the Razorbacks drafted. Both went in the third round.
Tillo, a left-hander from Iowa Western Community College who celebrated his 21st birthday Tuesday, was taken by the Kansas City Royals with the 90th overall pick. His projected signing bonus for that spot is $607,300, and he figures to sign with the Royals to begin a professional career rather than come to Arkansas.
“I’d love to sign,” Tillo told the Des Moines Register before the draft. “It’s been a dream of mine forever.”
The New York Yankees drafted Stephan with the 92nd pick, which has a projected signing bonus of $588,700.
Stephan was 6-3 with a 2.87 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 91 innings for the Razorbacks this season after transferring from Hill (Texas) Junior College.
“My time at Arkansas was pretty brief, but it was a year I’ll never forget,” Stephan said. “It was incredible.
“The fans are awesome. I’ll be forever thankful for the year I spent here.”
The Boston Red Sox made Stephan the 538th overall pick in the 18th round of last year’s draft, so he improved by 446 spots after his lone season working with Razorbacks pitching coach Wes Johnson.
“Going to Arkansas I felt like was the best decision for me at the time, and I’m just thankful it’s paid off,” Stephan said. “Working with coach Johnson really helped me. He helped me stay confident out there and really helped with the mental side of pitching.”
Stephan said he’s going to Tampa, Fla., tonight to work out contract details and sign with the Yankees at their minor-league headquarters.
“The Yankees are the most storied franchise in Major League Baseball,” Stephan said. “It’s an feeling incredible just getting a chance to go play for them.”
Arkansas junior first baseman Chad Spanberger, who hit .305 with 20 home runs and 67 RBI this season, was a sixth-round pick by the Colorado Rockies and 176th overall. His projected signing bonus is $260,200.
“I think the SEC Tournament really showed that I can hit. It helped me out a lot to move up in the draft,” Spanberger said.
“The Rockies asked a couple of rounds before if they could take me. They didn’t, but asked again in the fifth, so I kind of had an idea it was probably coming soon. When it happened I wasn’t watching and actually had a buddy text me, ‘Congrats.’ It was a surprise because I wasn’t paying attention at the moment.”
He also said he was watching the draft from his home in Illinois and that he expects to report to the Rockies some time this weekend or early next week.
Razorbacks senior pitcher Cannon Chadwick went in the ninth round to the New York Mets at No. 277 (projected signing bonus $139,700), and fellow senior pitcher Dominic Taccolini was selected in the 10th round by the San Diego Padres at No. 288 ($136,600 projected signing bonus).
Taccolini was a 16th-round pick last year by the Toronto Blue Jays at No. 492.
“I’m just happy that I feel I got better coming back for my senior year,” Taccolini said. “To jump up in the draft shows I made the right decision.
“My stuff got better, and I guess that’s why they wanted to draft me higher.”
Taccolini said Johnson — who came to Arkansas this season from Mississippi State — had a huge effect on him.
“It means the world to me that I got to work with him because he was one of the best coaches I’ve ever had,” Taccolini said. “He genuinely cares for every single player he works with. He individualizes everything for you.
“I feel like if I hadn’t come back for my senior year and worked with coach Johnson, I wouldn’t be in the spot where I am as a man and as a player.”
Outfielder Canaan Smith, an Arkansas signee from Rockwall-Heath (Texas) High School, was drafted by the Yankees in the fourth round with the 122nd pick.
Smith, who also can catch and play on the infield, was ranked as the No. 367 draft prospect by Baseball America. His projected signing bonus is $433,100.
MLB.com rates three Arkansas signees among the top high school players remaining in the draft with outfielder and pitcher Bryce Bonnin at No. 5, pitcher Jackson Rutledge at No. 12 and outfielder Cole Turney at No. 31.
Matt Jones of Wholehogsports. com contributed information for this report.