University of Houston Athletics
Four Cougars Selected on Final Day of MLB Draft
6/5/2019 5:44:00 PM | Baseball
Sean Bretz (Rd. 15, Royals), Joe Davis (Rd. 19, Red Sox), Fred Villarreal (Rd. 25, Mariners), Devon Roedahl (Rd. 27, Red Sox) drafted
HOUSTON -- Four members of University of Houston Baseball program were selected during Wednesday's final day of the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
Two Cougars were drafted in the teens, as junior reliever Sean Bretz was picked up by the Kansas City Royals in the 15th Round (Pick 439) and senior first baseman Joe Davis was taken by the Boston Red Sox in the 19th Round (Pick 587).
Junior right-handed reliever Fred Villarreal was tabbed by the Seattle Mariners in the 25th Round (Pick 756).
Junior reliever Devon Roedahl rounded out the draft for Houston being chosen by Boston in the 27th Round (Pick 827).
SEAN BRETZ (RHP)
Kansas City Royals | Round 15 | Pick 439
• Posted a 2-1 record with one save across 20 appearances in 2019
• Recorded a 2.53 ERA with 30 strikeouts and a .162 opponent batting average across 32.0 innings
• Picked up a wins behind 3.0 scoreless innings of relief vs. Sam Houston State (4/23) and 2.0 scoreless innings at UCF (5/17)
• Also recorded save behind 0.2 scoreless innings of relief vs. Cincinnati (4/20)
• Not previously drafted
JOE DAVIS (1B)
Boston Red Sox | Round 19 | Pick 587
• Houston's career record holder in home runs (53), RBI (223) extra-base hits (107) and total bases (503)
• The American Athletic Conference's record holder in hits (288), home runs, RBI, doubles (53) and total bases
• Named to The American Athletic Conference Second Team (1B)
• Posted a .295/.426/.605 slash in 2019
• Went 59-for-200 with eight doubles, 18 home runs, 57 RBI and 30 runs scored
• Second in The American and tied for 19th in the nation in home runs (18)
• Tied for third in the conference in RBI (57), fifth outright in slugging percentage (.605) and fifth in walks (43)
• Received 27 intentional walks
• 18 multi-hit games
• 14 multi-RBI games
• Passed Brandon Caraway (82, 1997-00) for the all-time career extra-base hit record with a double in the series finale against Northwestern State on Feb. 17
• Passed Brandon Caraway (435, 1997-00) for the career total bases mark with a home run at Dallas Baptist on March 17
• Broke The American's career doubles record with 52nd career two-bagger at UCF (5/16), passing David Villar (51, USF, 2016-18)
• Hit two-run, walk-off home run for a 9-7 win in series finale against Army on March 10 to complete the series sweep
• Named Midseason Perfect Game/Rawlings All-America Second Team
Named the Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Player of the Week three times (3/13, 4/3, 4/16)
• Named The American Player of the Week on March 11
• Named to The American Weekly Honor Roll four times (2/25, 3/18, 4/1, 4/15)
• Named to Don Sanders Cup All-Series Team
• Drafted 478th overall in the 16th Round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays
FRED VILLARREAL (RHP)
Seattle Mariners | Round 25 | Pick 756
• Named to The American Athletic Conference Second Team (RP)
• Posted a 5-4 record with 10 saves across 33 appearances in 2019
• Recorded a 2.29 ERA with 44 strikeouts across 59.0 innings
• Tied for 16th in the nation in appearances (33) and 44th in saves (10), ranking second and tied for third in The American, respectively
• Finished second in the conference in ERA (2.29) and fourth opponent batting average (.213)
• Picked up wins at Wichita State (4/14) and vs. Tulane (5/11) and recorded saves vs. UConn (3/23), at Memphis (3/31), vs. No. 11 ECU (4/5), vs. Cincinnati (4/19) and at UCF (5/17) in conference play
• Also recorded wins vs. No. 24 Arizona (2/22), at Dallas Baptist (3/16), FIU (4/3) as well as saves vs. Army (3/9), vs. UTSA (3/12), vs. Sam Houston State (3/26) at Lamar (4/2) and vs. No. 7 Texas A&M (4/16)
• Named to Midseason Update for NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award
• Named to The American Weekly Honor Roll on April 22
• Drafted 660th overall in the 22nd Round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays
DEVON ROEDAHL (RHP)
Boston Red Sox | Round 27 | Pick 827
• Named The American Athletic Conference Newcomer Pitcher of the Year and to the Second Team (P)
• Posted a 7-2 record with four saves across 30 appearances with one start in 2019
• Recorded a 4.09 ERA with 60 strikeouts across 61.2 innings
• Finished tied for second The American in wins (7), with all coming out of the bullpen
• Fifth in the league in opponent batting average (.224) and tied for fifth in the conference appearances (30)
• Picked up wins at Memphis (3/31) and vs. Cincinnati (4/20), and recorded a save at Wichita State (4/14) in conference play
• Also picked up wins vs. Northwestern State (2/15, 2/16), vs. Army (3/10), at Lamar (4/2) and at Rice (5/1) as well as saves vs. Army (3/8), at Dallas Baptist (3/15) and vs. UNLV (5/4)
• Named to The American Weekly Honor Roll on March 11
• Named to All-Silver Glove Series Team
• Not previously drafted
HOUSTON MLB DRAFT NOTES
• Houston has a running total of 154 drafted players all-time
• At least one Cougar has been selected in the MLB Draft every year since 2002 and 22 of the last 23 years
• In nine years under Head Coach Todd Whitting, 38 players have been drafted with 29 of those being undrafted heading into the University of Houston
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