New Pro Players From Tide Do Well

Following the conclusion of the 2012 Alabama baseball season, three Crimson Tide players were selected in the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Those three players, Taylor Dugas, Ian Gardeck and Jared Reaves, are all off to a good start to their professional careers, as all are playing in the Class A Short Season for their respective clubs.

Taylor Dugas, who had an extraordinary Alabama baseball career and was drafted in the eighth round by the New York Yankees, is playing for the Staten Island Yankees. In 22 games this season, Dugas is hitting .333 with 20 runs scored, two doubles, a triple and seven runs batted in. Dugas also possesses a .500 on-base percentage, while hitting leadoff and playing left field.

Shortstop Jared Reaves, who was selected in the 25th round by the Detroit Tigers, is hitting at a .345 clip for the Connecticut Tigers of the New York-Penn League. Through 15 games, Reaves has 58 at-bats and has collected 20 hits, with four doubles, a home run, with 10 runs scored and 10 RBI. Over his last 10 games, he is hitting .357 with four multi-hit performances.

Ian Gardeck, a 16th round selection by the San Francisco Giants in 2012, has made eight appearances out of the bullpen for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of the Northwest League. Gardeck has a 1-1 record with 20 strikeouts in 10.1 innings pitched.

Following the recent call-up of Josh Rutledge by the Colorado Rockies, the Crimson Tide currently has six players in the Major Leagues. Those players include Rutledge, catcher Alex Avila (Tigers), second baseman Matt Downs (Astros), right handed pitcher Tommy Hunter (Orioles), left handed pitcher Wade LeBlanc (Marlins), and right handed pitcher David Robertson (Yankees).

With the three players from the 2012 roster in the minor leagues, the Tide has 14 former baseball players competing in the minor leagues.