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Lopes trio picked for MLB Draft Combine
6/14/2023 7:06:00 PM | Baseball
Wilson, Bush, Thornton among top 200 names for July draft
Grand Canyon juniors Jacob Wilson, Homer Bush Jr. and Zach Thornton were named participants in the MLB Draft Combine that will be held at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 19-24.
Each player is ranked on MLB.com's top 200 prospect rankings ahead of the July 9-11 draft.
The combine will feature 274 draft prospects, including 143 collegiate players and 131 high school athletes. It will provide an opportunity for players to participate in a series of medical and performance assessments, as well as educational programming designed to prepare them for careers in professional baseball. All players will have the opportunity to participate in a pro-style showcase workout, as well as strength and performance assessments.
As part of the experience, attendees will benefit from the opportunity to interview and interact directly with general managers and scouting directors, as well as an enhanced medical evaluation process. Participants at the MLB Draft Combine will also have opportunities to be featured on MLB social media channels, in addition to receiving personal branding training and access to real-time content and custom video for their platforms.
In MLB.com's draft rankings, Wilson landed at No. 7 overall, followed by Bush at No. 94 and Thornton at No. 163. The list includes players originating from four-year schools, two-year schools and high schools.
GCU was one of just 10 schools to feature three or more players among the top 165 picks on the list. The Lopes were joined by Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Virginia and Wake Forest.
GCU's highest draft pick came over 50 years ago when LeRoy McDonald was the 27th overall pick in the 1969 MLB Draft. GCU has never had a first-round selection.
Wilson led the 37-21 Lopes with a .411 batting average. He also paced GCU in triples (four), RBIs (tied at 61) and slugging percentage (.635).
For the second consecutive season, Wilson was the nation's toughest batter to strike out. He did so just five times in 192 at bats (once per 38.4 at bats). His fifth and final strikeout of the season came on March 31, meaning the Thousand Oaks, California, native did not strike out in his final 97 at bats.
The two-time Golden Spikes Award semifinalist also ranked in the nation's top 25 in batting average (11th, .411) and hits per game (24th, 1.61).
Bush was an All-WAC first-team honoree and a Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List selection for posting a .370 batting average that ranked second on the team this season while scoring a team-best 69 runs.
The Southlake, Texas, native had a breakout junior campaign, raising his batting average from .270 as a sophomore to .370 as a junior to rank among the nation's top 100 hitters.
The center fielder also broke GCU's Division I single-season stolen-base record and ranked 54th nationally with 25 swipes in 31 attempts.
Thornton landed on the All-WAC second team and was a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, which is awarded to the nation's top player.
In addition to tying the WAC lead in wins, Thornton tied for the most innings pitched in conference play (60 1/3 innings) and finished in the top 10 in ERA (ninth, 4.33) and strikeouts (fifth, 55). Thornton was a two-time WAC Pitcher of the Week and opened conference action with 13 strikeouts in a scoreless seven-inning outing against New Mexico State.
The Lawrence, Kansas, native's nine victories tied for the 21st most nationally, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.06 to 1) was 29th best nationally.
For the third consecutive year, MLB Network will provide extensive coverage of the Draft Combine with two days of on-site programming from Chase Field. Coverage will begin at 10 a.m. on June 20, and at 12:30 p.m. on June 21. MLB Network will provide analysis and breakdowns as the players participate in batting practice, live mound sessions, and fielding and baserunning drills. As part of the production, graphics will deliver near-instant data on many statistics, including pitching velocity and exit velocity for hitters.
The combine will be open to the public for select days. Fans wishing to attend the combine session on Tuesday, June 20, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Wednesday, June 21, gates will be open to the public from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The MLB Draft takes place in Seattle at Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks, and coincides with MLB All-Star festivities on July 9-11.
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Each player is ranked on MLB.com's top 200 prospect rankings ahead of the July 9-11 draft.
The combine will feature 274 draft prospects, including 143 collegiate players and 131 high school athletes. It will provide an opportunity for players to participate in a series of medical and performance assessments, as well as educational programming designed to prepare them for careers in professional baseball. All players will have the opportunity to participate in a pro-style showcase workout, as well as strength and performance assessments.
As part of the experience, attendees will benefit from the opportunity to interview and interact directly with general managers and scouting directors, as well as an enhanced medical evaluation process. Participants at the MLB Draft Combine will also have opportunities to be featured on MLB social media channels, in addition to receiving personal branding training and access to real-time content and custom video for their platforms.
In MLB.com's draft rankings, Wilson landed at No. 7 overall, followed by Bush at No. 94 and Thornton at No. 163. The list includes players originating from four-year schools, two-year schools and high schools.
GCU was one of just 10 schools to feature three or more players among the top 165 picks on the list. The Lopes were joined by Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Virginia and Wake Forest.
GCU's highest draft pick came over 50 years ago when LeRoy McDonald was the 27th overall pick in the 1969 MLB Draft. GCU has never had a first-round selection.
Wilson led the 37-21 Lopes with a .411 batting average. He also paced GCU in triples (four), RBIs (tied at 61) and slugging percentage (.635).For the second consecutive season, Wilson was the nation's toughest batter to strike out. He did so just five times in 192 at bats (once per 38.4 at bats). His fifth and final strikeout of the season came on March 31, meaning the Thousand Oaks, California, native did not strike out in his final 97 at bats.
The two-time Golden Spikes Award semifinalist also ranked in the nation's top 25 in batting average (11th, .411) and hits per game (24th, 1.61).
Bush was an All-WAC first-team honoree and a Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List selection for posting a .370 batting average that ranked second on the team this season while scoring a team-best 69 runs.The Southlake, Texas, native had a breakout junior campaign, raising his batting average from .270 as a sophomore to .370 as a junior to rank among the nation's top 100 hitters.
The center fielder also broke GCU's Division I single-season stolen-base record and ranked 54th nationally with 25 swipes in 31 attempts.
Thornton landed on the All-WAC second team and was a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, which is awarded to the nation's top player.In addition to tying the WAC lead in wins, Thornton tied for the most innings pitched in conference play (60 1/3 innings) and finished in the top 10 in ERA (ninth, 4.33) and strikeouts (fifth, 55). Thornton was a two-time WAC Pitcher of the Week and opened conference action with 13 strikeouts in a scoreless seven-inning outing against New Mexico State.
The Lawrence, Kansas, native's nine victories tied for the 21st most nationally, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.06 to 1) was 29th best nationally.
For the third consecutive year, MLB Network will provide extensive coverage of the Draft Combine with two days of on-site programming from Chase Field. Coverage will begin at 10 a.m. on June 20, and at 12:30 p.m. on June 21. MLB Network will provide analysis and breakdowns as the players participate in batting practice, live mound sessions, and fielding and baserunning drills. As part of the production, graphics will deliver near-instant data on many statistics, including pitching velocity and exit velocity for hitters.
The combine will be open to the public for select days. Fans wishing to attend the combine session on Tuesday, June 20, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Wednesday, June 21, gates will be open to the public from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The MLB Draft takes place in Seattle at Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks, and coincides with MLB All-Star festivities on July 9-11.
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