After three days and 40 rounds, Major League Baseball recently completed its annual First-Year Player Draft. During the draft, 1216 players were selected who hope to take the first step in their baseball professional careers.
The 2016 MLB 2016 Draft yielded four athletes from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Two players from Bethune-Cookman University joined one each from Alabama State University and North Carolina Central University as MLB organizations grabbed the highest-rated HBCU college prospects available.
The selection of Bethune-Cookman’s Michael Cruz and Clayton Middleton, Alabama State’s Angel Alicea, and North Carolina Central’s Andrew Vernon helps boost HBCU baseball as a valuable commodity.
There have been so many great pros to come from HBCUs and it is our hope that this current class of prospects drafted will become as good or even better.
Michael Cruz Round 7 Draft#:224
Position: C School: Bethune-Cookman
Angel Alicea Round 20 Draft#:612
Position: RHP School: Alabama State
Clayton Middleton Round 22nd Draft#:669
Position: C School: Bethune-Cookman
Andrew Vernon Round 28th Draft#:831
Position: RHP School: North Carolina Central
Great news!