CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Juniors Nic Kent (Charlottesville, Va.) and Zach Messinger (Chandler, Ind.) were selected on the final day of the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft. Kent was the taken in the 11th round (320th overall) by the Colorado Rockies while Messinger went to the New York Yankees in the 13th round (393rd overall).
After four Cavaliers were selected on Monday (July 12), the Cavaliers upped their total to six this year’s draft, the highest total since 2018.
UVA Draft Summary
Round 2 (53rd Overall) – Andrew Abbott – Cincinnati Reds
Round 2 (60th Overall – Zack Gelof – Oakland Athletics
Round 5 (145th Overall) – Griff McGarry – Philadelphia Phillies
Round 8 (232nd Overall) – Mike Vasil – New York Mets
Round 11 (320th Overall) – Nic Kent – Colorado Rockies
Round 13 (393rd Overall) – Zach Messinger – New York Yankees
Draft Notes
- The Cavaliers have had six players selected in the first 15 rounds, five times – 2008, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2021.
- Virginia has had six or more players drafted nine times in program history, all have occurred in Brian O’Connor’s tenure (2004-present).
- A total of 90 MLB Draft selections have taken place in 18 seasons under head coach Brian O’Connor.
- Since the inception of the MLB Draft, a total of 139 Virginia baseball players have been selected
- Virginia was one of 10 schools with three or more selections in the first five rounds and one of five schools with two picks in the first two rounds.
- UVA was one of 15 schools to have four or more players selected in the first 10 rounds of the 2021 draft.
- Virginia has boasted multiple picks in the first and/or second rounds in five of the last eight years.