For the second time in three years, an Oklahoma baseball player has been selected in the first round of the MLB Draft. For the second time in eight years, an Oklahoma pitcher has been selected in the the first round of the MLB Draft.
Cade Cavalli came to the Sooners as a two-way player as a power-hitter and a power-right handed arm. He leaves as the No. 22 pick by the Washington Nationals in the 2020 MLB Draft.
With the 22nd overall pick of the 2020 #MLBDraft, the #Nats select @OU_Baseball RHP Cade Cavalli, No. 22 on the Top 200 Draft Prospects list: https://t.co/DSGlJ4qOBc
Watch live: https://t.co/cmm19LFrdg pic.twitter.com/w1QCva63FF
— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) June 11, 2020
The Bixby, Oklahoma, native was Oklahoma’s Friday night starter as a sophomore and a junior. Before the coronavirus pandemic shut things down, Cavalli struck out 37 hitters in 23.2 innings pitched and only walked five batter in 2020.
His sophomore year performance lead to a USA Collegiate National Team selection. Cavalli boasted a 5-3 record with 59 strikeouts in 60.1 innings pitched and only walking 35 batters. He played both ways as a sophomore in 2019, hitting .319 with four home runs and 17 RBI.
Kyler Murray was the last first round selection by Oklahoma as the No. 9 pick by the Oakland Athletics in the 2018 MLB Draft. Jonathan Gray was the last pitcher selected in the first round by Oklahoma as the No. 3 overall pick by the Colorado Rockies in the 2013 MLB Draft.
The Sooners are set to return southpaw and Saturday starter Levi Prater and dominant reliever and fourth starter Wyatt Olds in 2021. Sunday starter Dane Acker is expected to get picked in the 2020 MLB Draft and take the offer.
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