Alisha Alexander - SCCBL Director of Media Operations

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - The 2019 MLB Amatuer Draft proved successful for SCCBL alums over the course of the past week. In total, five former SCCBL athletes were picked up including three from the Power, one from the Force and one from the Bulldogs (now the SoCal Stros).

Sawyer Gipson-Long - RHP | Mercer/Power | Round: 6 Pick: 179 by Minnesota Twins

The first to go in the group was Sawyer Gipson-Long. The right-handed pitcher out of Mercer (Ga.) was picked up in the sixth round by the Twins, 179th overall, after a strong season for the Bears. His 5.20 ERA was paired with 99 strikeouts in 83 innings pitched. He had 14 starts on the mound with a record of 8-4. Gipson-Long walked just 18 batters on the year.

Nick Paciorek - RHP | Northwestern/Power | Round: 7 Pick: 225 by New York Yankees

Not far behind his former Power teammate, Nick Paciorek was drafted by the Yankees in the seventh round, 225th overall. In 20 appearances out of the bullpen, the junior tossed 26.2 innings and finished the season with a 3.38 ERA. He totaled 44 punchouts and held opposing hitters to a batting average of just .196. He collected three wins in 2019.

CJ Stubbs - C | USC/Force | Round: 10 Pick: 316 by Houston Astros

CJ Stubbs, a 10th-round draft pick by the Astros, will have at least one familiar face awaiting him in the Houston organization. His older brother, Garrett Stubbs, recently was called up to make his debut with the Astros. Stubbs began his career at with the Trojans as a pitcher, but after missing 2018 due to Tommy John he transitioned to the role as the team’s backstop. In the 2019 season, he batted .285 with six home runs and 35 RBI. He threw out 13 runners on the basepaths.

Andrew Navigato - INF | Oklahoma State/Bulldogs | Round: 20 Pick: 592 by Detroit Tigers

After just one year at Oklahoma State, Andrew Navigato proved his worth and was drafted by the Tigers in the 20th round on Wednesday. An All-SCCBL infielder last summer, Navigato hit .296 this spring for the Cowboys who are currently headed to the NCAA Super Regionals. The transfer from Cuesta CC collected 42 RBI and 12 home runs on the season to help lead OSU to a Big 12 Title. He earned Second-Team All-Big 12 honors.

Casey Combs - INF | East Texas Baptist/Power | Round: 27 Pick: 801 by Miami Marlins

Combs was the last SCCBL alum selected in the draft, going in the 27th round with a pick by the Marlins. Combs leads ETBU as one of the most decorated players in program history. He was named to two All-American first teams (D3baseball.com, ABCA), was the West Region Player of the Year (D3baseball.com, ABCA), the American Southwest Conference Player of the Year, and a CoSIDA Academic All-American third team selection. This season he led the team in batting average (.417), hits (68), RBI (48), and stolen bases (19), while sharing the home run lead at 13.