LOS ANGELES – Four Georgia Tech baseball players heard their names called on Monday afternoon as they were selected on the second day of the 2022 Major League Baseball First-year Player Draft.
Tres Gonzalez (Sandy Springs, Ga./Mount Vernon Presbyterian) was selected in the fifth round (No. 140 overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates, before RHP Zach Maxwell (Acworth, Ga./North Paulding) was taken in the sixth round (No. 183 overall) by the Cincinnati Reds. RHP Chance Huff (Niceville, Fla./Niceville (Vanderbilt)) was then selected in the eighth round (No. 231 overall) by the Washington Nationals before Andrew Jenkins (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) rounded out Day 2 with the ninth round (No. 267 overall) pick by the Detroit Tigers.
The six top-10 draft picks are the most in program history, eclipsing the previous record of five (2013, 2010, 2006, and 2001). Through 10 rounds, Georgia Tech leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in total draft picks overall. According to College Baseball Hub, Only four schools in Division I have more through the first two days – Tennessee (nine), Arkansas (eight), Oklahoma State and Oklahoma (seven).
Colleges with the most players selected through the first 10 rounds of the #MLBDraft
9 – @Vol_Baseball
8 – @RazorbackBSB
7 – @OSUBaseball
7 – @OU_Baseball
6 – @TexasBaseball
6 – @BeaverBaseball
6 – @GTBaseball— College Baseball Hub (@CollegeBSBHub) July 18, 2022
A rock-steady outfielder and hitter, Gonzalez earned second-team all-ACC honors as a team captain, starting and playing in all 60 games in left field. For the season, Gonzalez hit .339 with 78 base hits, 14 doubles, a triple and five home runs for 57 RBI. Hitting primarily in the clean-up spot, the Sandy Springs, Ga. native reached base .458, drawing a team-best 45 walks and striking out just 27 times. He also stole six bags and was thrown out just twice.
For his career on the Flats, Gonzalez appeared in 129 games over three seasons and hit .313 for his career. He recorded 142 base hits, 32 doubles, two triples and eight home runs for 87 RBI. Having a terrific eye at the plate from the get-go, he recorded a .442 on-base percentage while slugging .446.
Hard-throwing Maxwell was once again electric on the mound for Georgia Tech, willing the Yellow Jackets to victory on multiple occasions in multiple roles. Maxwell made six starts and 21 appearances on the year, finishing with a 5-0 record, four saves, a 5.26 ERA and a team-best 84 strikeouts. He started the first five games for Tech before transitioning to the bullpen where he picked up four of his five victories in addition to his four saves. His final performance of the year came on the biggest stage when he started the Nashville Regional final against then-No. 1 Tennessee and allowed just two unearned runs in 6.0 innings while punching out 11 overall.
For his career, the Acworth, Ga. native recorded a 4.24 ERA over 49 appearances and 10 starts. He tallied an 8-3 record and seven saves over 97.2 innings in which he struck out a 160 hitters.
Huff moved from relief pitcher to Friday night starter and team captain in 2022, making 16 appearances and 15 starts for Georgia Tech. Over 68.1 innings, Huff recorded a 5-4 record with a 6.98 ERA, striking out 74 batters on the season. Huff’s best performances came in the biggest moments when he held nationally ranked rival Georgia to one run over 7.0 innings, before allowing just one unearned run to Florida State to kickstart a series win for the Jackets. Despite some midseason struggles, Huff came through in the postseason, throwing 106 pitches over seven innings against Alabama State in the Nashville Regional, striking out eight and surrendering just three runs total.
For his two-year career at Tech as a transfer from Vanderbilt, the Niceville, Fla. native recorded six victories and two saves over 92.2 innings for a 7.77 ERA. He struck out 96 hitters in 36 appearances overall.
A first-team all-ACC selection and second-team all-American, Jenkins started all 60 games at first base for the Yellow Jackets, batting .381 with 22 doubles, one triple and 17 home runs with 70 RBI. The Atlanta native tied for second in the conference with 96 hits. He also ranked second in the ACC in batting average and was third in both runs scored (71) and doubles (22), all while earning second-team Academic All-America honors.
In the classroom, Jenkins received his first Academic All-American award after earning a 3.79 grade-point average in his third year in the business administration program at Georgia Tech.
After an injury held him to just four games in 2020, Jenkins has recorded a career batting average on The Flats of .351, including a .417 on-base percentage and a .628 slugging percentage. In 109 games played, he has tallied 148 base hits, 35 doubles, two triples and 26 home runs for 105 RBI.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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