THE FLATS – Three Georgia Tech baseball players heard their names called on Monday afternoon as they were selected on the second day of the 2023 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Kristian Campbell (Marietta, Ga./Walton HS) was selected in fourth round (No. 132 overall) by the Boston Red Sox, before Jake DeLeo (Norwalk, Conn./Avon Old Farms School) was taken in the sixth round (No. 173 overall) by the Miami Marlins. John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year semifinalist Jackson Finley (Richmond Hill, Ga./Richmond Hill HS) rounded out the day for Tech when he was selected in the eighth round (No. 226 overall) by the Oakland Athletics.
In his first season of action, redshirt freshman Campbell showed off his incredible bat-to-ball talent as Tech’s leadoff hitter, hitting .376 for 65 hits, 16 doubles, one triple, four home runs and 24 RBI. Drawing 29 walks and 11 hit-by-pitches with just 16 strikeouts in 173 at-bats, he reached base at a .484 clip. In conference play alone, Campbell hit a gaudy .388 with 45 hits, 10 doubles and two home runs, drawing 19 walks, five HBP and striking out just 13 times in 116 at-bats for a .493 on-base percentage.
In the ACC, the freshman All-American ranked as the second-toughest to strike out at 10.3 at-bats per strikeout, as well as fourth in on-base percentage, sixth in average, eighth in runs per game and hits per game, and ninth in doubles per game. He earned third-team all-conference honors as well as was named to the league’s all-freshman list.
Also having a career year after finally being fully healthy, DeLeo was one of the ACC’s best centerfielders. Starting in all 57 games, DeLeo hit .365 for 91 hits, 23 doubles, three triples and 14 home runs, slugging .651 and reaching base at a .426 clip. The Norwalk, Conn. native has also stolen eight bases on the field and recorded four outfield assists. Nationally, DeLeo ranked 12th and 17th in hits and total bases (156), respectively, but in the ACC, he also ranked top 15 in doubles (third), average (10th), runs (10th) and slugging (12th), earning second-team all-conference honors.
As impressive in the classroom as on the field, DeLeo was also named a CSC First-Team Academic All-American, turning in an impressive 3.91 cumulative GPA.
Finley was named all-ACC as a utility/designated hitter after already earning semifinalist status for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award. At the plate, Finley was a menace, hitting .328 overall for 65 hits, 17 doubles and a team-best 17 home runs for 61 RBI. Tech’s Sunday starter for the season as well, the Richmond Hill, Ga. native worked to a 6.47 ERA, with two wins and 42 strikeouts. In the ACC, Finley ranked third in RBI, sixth in home runs, seventh in slugging percentage (.686), and eighth in doubles.
For his season, Finley was named second-team ABCA/Rawlings All-Southeast Region.
The selections mark the 43rd-straight season in which a Georgia Tech student-athlete has been taken in the MLB Draft, a streak that began in 1981 with the selection of first baseman Tommy Thompson by the Kansas City Royals. The three Yellow Jackets overall so far mark the 23rd-straight year Georgia Tech baseball has had multiple picks in a single draft.
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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