Keysor last of 5 Canes selected in draft
Don’t call him “Mr. Irrelevant,” because the MLB Draft, unlike the NFL Draft, doesn’t have one.
But right-handed junior Tyler Keysor came awfully close to being the last man drafted in 2019.
The 6-5, 225-pound Miami Hurricanes pitcher was the 1,213th player of 1,217 taken in the draft, chosen Wednesday evening by the Seattle Mariners in the 40th and final round.
The Hurricanes had few upperclassmen on their 2019 baseball roster — and no seniors. But the Canes still managed to have five players, four of them pitchers, drafted.
Keysor, 21, is from Winter Springs and transferred to UM (41-20) before this season after playing two years at Eastern Florida State College. He started five games for the Canes, posting a 6-1 record and 3.78 earned run average in 22 appearances. He struck out 38 batters.
Right-handed junior pitcher Mark Mixon was picked by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 26th round — 791st overall — as UM’s next-to-last player drafted.
The 6-2, 180-pound Mixon, 22, became the Canes’ fourth player drafted after pitcher Evan McKendry was chosen Tuesday by the Tampa Bay Rays, closer Greg Veliz was chosen Wednesday by the Los Angeles Angels and catcher Michael Amditis was chosen Wednesday by the Cleveland Indians.
This year’s drafted Hurricanes can choose to return to UM if they don’t turn pro, because every player on UM’s roster has eligibility remaining. Last year the Canes had six players drafted.
Mixon, from Ponte Vedra, transferred to Miami for 2019 after two seasons at South Georgia State College. He pitched 27 innings in 26 appearances from the bullpen, posting a 3-1 record and 2.33 earned run average. He struck out 28 and walked 11.
Redshirt sophomore Amditis, 5-11 and 190 pounds, was drafted in the 21st round — 640th overall.
The Indians also drafted Amditis (37th round) in 2016 after his senior year at Boca Raton High School.
Amditis, 21, hit .273 in 2019, scoring 28 runs on 45 hits in 51 games, with 24 RBI and seven home runs. He is a .263 career hitter with 38 runs scored on 68 hits in 81 total games. He broke his leg very early in his 2017 true freshman season and missed the remainder of the season. He also missed a month of the 2018 season with an injury.
Junior Veliz, UM’s 6-2, 200-pound closer from Key West and North Broward Prep, was taken in the 15th round — 451st overall — by the Los Angeles Angels.
The right-handed Veliz is 22 years old.
This season he was 2-1 with a 2.55 ERA. He had 30 appearances, with nine saves. He pitched 42 innings, allowing 14 runs (12 earned) on 30 hits and 21 walks. He struck out 69 and allowed four home runs. Opponents hit .194 against him.
Veliz’s career stats: 8-6 (3.05 ERA) in 47 appearances, including 15 as a starter. Teams hit only .179 against him. He struck out 161 batters and walked 68. He allowed seven homers.
UM’s first player taken in the draft, McKendry, went to the Rays with the 278th overall pick. He began the season as the Friday night starter. A junior, McKendry was 7-2 with a 4.41 ERA over 13 starts in 2019, striking out 72 batters over 67 innings. McKendry is from Pembroke Pines and graduated from North Broward Prep. He had an 18-10 record and 3.96 over three years with the Canes.
MORE UM BASEBALL NEWS
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper announced Wednesday that starting pitcher Slade Cecconi and designated hitter Adrian Del Castillo were named freshman All-Americans. Cecconi (5-4, 4.16) struck out 89 batters with 18 walks over 80 innings.
Del Castillo finished the season batting .331 with 78 hits, 22 doubles and 72 RBI, all team bests. He started all 61 games, but not always in the same position. He made starts at catcher, right field, DH and third base. In the postseason he hit .353, with two doubles, three homers and seven RBI over four games at the Starkville Regional.
Susan Miller Degnan: 305-376-3366, @smillerdegnan