The final day of the 2017 MLB Draft saw four Florida Gators selected. RHP David Lee, RHP Frank Rubio, 2B Deacon Liput, and C/1B JJ Schwarz were each selected on day three.
RHP David Lee was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 27th round. Lee transferred to Florida from Santa Fe College. Lee, who attended Buchholz High in Gainesville, only pitched two innings, but retired all six batters he faced, including three strikeouts.
RHP Frank Rubio is one of two seniors on the 2017 team. The 6-0, 190 LB hurler was taken by San Francisco in the 29th round. Rubio was 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA in 23 relief appearances this season.
2B Deacon Liput (pictured above per AP Images) was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 29th round. Liput is a rare draft-eligible sophomore from Oviedo, Fl. Liput is hitting .225 with 2 home runs and 30 RBIs. Liput is a terrific defensive player with a fielding percentage of .989 after committing only three errors in 64 games at second base.
C/1B JJ Schwarz became a national story as he fell all the way to Tampa Bay in the 38th round. The 6-2, 215 LB Schwarz has hit at a .271 clip this year with a team leading 12 homers and 53 RBIs. Prior to the draft, Schwarz was projected to go as high as the fourth round.
Schwarz hit .332 with 18 home runs and 73 RBIs in 2015 on his way to being named the NCAA Freshman of the Year. Schwarz appeared headed toward being the #1 overall pick after his freshman year, and many publications still had him as a candidate for the top slot coming into this season. Now, it appears entirely possible that Schwarz could return to Florida for his senior year in an attempt to improve his draft stock.
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These four Gators join the four drafted on the first two days of the MLB Draft to give Florida eight drafted players. RHP Alex Faedo (DET) was drafted in the first round while Florida faced Wake Forest in an elimination game on Monday. SS Dalton Guthrie (PHI) and C Mike Rivera (CLE) were taken in round six while C Mark Kolozsvary was selected in the seventh round on Tuesday.