ORLANDO – UCF had three players taken on day two of the 2022 MLB Draft. Alex Freeland, Hunter Patteson, and Connor Staine were all picked up by big league clubs.
SS Alex Freeland was the first to hear his named called when the Los Angeles Dodgers selected him in the third round with the 105th pick. Freeland is the fourth Knight to be taken by the Dodgers and the first since 2012. In his career he hit .285 with 103 hits, 18 homers, and 75 RBI.
LHP Hunter Patteson was the next off the board with the Kansas City Royals taking him in the fifth round with the 145th pick. Patteson is third Knight to be taken by the Royals. He had a 1.82 ERA this past season and over his career he struck out 118 batters over 100 innings pitched.
RHP Connor Staine didn't have to wait much longer as the Colorado Rockies took him with the very next pick. He is the sixth Knight to be taken by the Rockies. In his lone season in Orlando, he was dominate. Pitching to the tune of a 1.87 ERA and striking out 51 over 43.1 innings.
Three picks in the first five rounds is the most for UCF since 1998 when they also had three taken.
Head Coach Greg Lovelady has now worked with 55 MLB Draft picks during his 21-year coaching career. The Knights have had 114 players go through the draft.
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