After four former Colorado high school stars were selected over the first two days of the 2017 MLB Draft, ten more local prospects heard their names called during the rapid-fire final day of the event.
Peyton Remy, a 2015 Legend graduate and current righthander at Central Arizona College, got things going for Colorado on Day 3 when he was selected by the Cubs in the 17th round with the 525th overall pick.
Remy struck out 90 batters and made 14 starts for the Vaqueros this year and is the fourth Titans player to ever be drafted, per CHSAANow.com’s draft tracker.
Then in the 18th round, two former Rocky Mountain stars and current University of New Mexico players were picked.
First, the Angels took 2014 RMHS graduate Tyler Stevens off the board with the 535th pick. Stevens was 7-6 with a 4.81 ERA as a junior for New Mexico this spring and was the winning pitcher in the 2014 Class 5A state title game for Rocky Mountain, which has had former players selected in 11 of the last 12 drafts.
His classmate, Carl Stajduhar, was then taken by the Mets with the 547th overall pick. The junior infielder earned 1st-Team All-Mountain West honors this year after hitting .350 with 17 homers and 69 RBIs. He was also the Mountain West Player of the Year as a sophomore.
Recent Rock Canyon graduate Matt Givin became the first Colorado high school senior picked in this year’s draft when the Marlins came calling in the 20th round with the 599th overall pick.
The pitcher/shortstop earned All-Colorado accolades this spring while leading the Jaguars back to the 5A state tournament and is committed to play at Xavier, where his older brother, Chris Givin, is already a starter. Givin is the second Jaguars player to be picked but first straight out of high school.
The Cubs selected Niwot shortstop Skyler Messinger in the 22nd round with the 675th overall pick. Messinger hit .484 with 21 RBI and four homers for the Cougars this spring, and is committed to play at the University of Kansas. He is the seventh Niwot player to be drafted but first since 2008.
Heritage then got its moment in the spotlight, with two selections that underscored the talent within the fast-rising 5A program. All-Colorado catcher Casey Opitz (Arkansas commit) got picked in the 27th round in the 822nd slot by the Indians, and then a round later, righthander Jacob Hilton (New Mexico) went to the Rangers with the 854th pick.
Pine Creek graduate Reagan Biechler was taken next by the Rockies in the 31st round with the 926th pick. The senior lefty reliever for Wichita State had a 2.84 ERA in 31.2 innings this year and is the fourth Pine Creek player to be drafted.
In the 35th round, the Rockies selected their third local player of the draft with Broomfield righty James Notary at the 1,046th pick. Notary, a Texas Christian University commit, pitched the Eagles into the 5A state title game this spring.
And to conclude Colorado’s draft representation, the Rockies again went to the prep ranks to select Ralston Valley senior righthander Drake Davis in the 38th round at 1,136th overall. Davis, an Arizona State commit, was 4-3 with a 2.27 ERA this spring and is the sixth Mustangs player to be drafted.
Regis Jesuit graduate David Peterson was the first Colorado player drafted during Monday’s first round with the 20th overall pick, and three more locals went on Tuesday with the selections of Legacy alum Lucas Gilbreath, Columbine alum Blake Weiman and Sand Creek alum Josh Keaton.
Colorado Draft Recap
In all, 14 former Colorado high school players were selected in the draft, including six seniors. The signing deadline to go pro or return to/attend college is July 15.
Local Alumni
Round 1 Pick 20 David Peterson LHP, New York Mets (Regis Jesuit 2014, Oregon)
Round 7 Pick 206, Lucas Gilbreath LHP, Colorado Rockies (Legacy 2014, Minnesota)
Round 8 Pick 238, Blake Weiman LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (Columbine 2014, Kansas)
Round 10 Pick 308, Josh Keaton RHP, Baltimore Orioles (Sand Creek 2012, Adams State)
Round 17 Pick 525, Peyton Remy RHP, Chicago Cubs (Legend 2015, Central Arizona College)
Round 18 Pick 535, Tyler Stevens RHP, Los Angeles Angels (Rocky Mountain 2014, New Mexico)
Round 18 Pick 547, Carl Stajduhar 3B, New York Mets (Rocky Mountain 2014, New Mexico)
Round 31 Pick 926, Reagan Biechler LHP, Colorado Rockies (Pine Creek 2013, Wichita State)
Class of 2017
Round 20 Pick 599, Matt Givin RHP, Miami Marlins (Rock Canyon, Xavier)
Round 22 Pick 675, Skyler Messinger SS, Chicago Cubs (Niwot, Kansas)
Round 27 Pick 823, Casey Opitz C, Cleveland Indians (Heritage, Arkansas)
Round 28 Pick 854, Jacob Hilton RHP, Texas Rangers (Heritage, New Mexico)
Round 35 Pick 1,046, James Notary RHP, Colorado Rockies (Broomfield, TCU)
Round 38 Pick 1,136, Drake Davis RHP, Colorado Rockies (Ralston Valley, Arizona State)
