BYU pitchers Matthew Neil and Taylor Cole signed deals with MLB teams over the weekend.
Both were selected during the 29th round of the Major League draft last Tuesday.
Neil signed a deal with the Florida Marlins, and Cole with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Playing in the majors is a dream for many college baseball players, and Neil said he was one of those players.
“I started Little League when I was 7 years old,” Neil said. “This has always been a dream of mine to play baseball professionally.”
Neil, a senior from Arizona, was named national pitcher of the week by collegebaseballinsider.com for his two wins and 0.00 ERA against Utah and New Mexico this season. Neil was also named Second-Team All Mountain West Conference and finished the season with a 6-4 record and a 2.42 ERA.
Cole, a sophomore from Las Vegas, tallied a 5-5 record and a 2.99 ERA this season. He was named All-Tourney in the Brooks Wallace classic hosted by Texas Tech.
Draft day is an exciting time for prospective players as they look to where they will end up. Neil described his and his wife’s emotions while sitting by the computer listening to the draft live.
“Teams and scouts called me throughout the draft making sure I was healthy and my willingness to join their club,” Neil said.
Even though Neil and his wife were listening for his name, he said it was still a shock to hear it.
“We were just sitting there listening for my name and I heard BYU and we gave each other a hug,” Neil said. “A few minutes later the scout called me and gave me a little information and told me they would be flying me out to Florida on Saturday.”
