Baseball | 11/1/2023 2:13:00 PM

The 2023 Trailblazer Baseball Navy/Red World Series Draft is in the books and it was a doozy.  
 
The Navy Team Captains:  Hank Dodson, Ryan Hardman, and Chase Rodriguez were victorious in the Cross Net Challenge, but deferred the first pick in the draft. 
 
With that move the Red Captains:  Morgan Albrecht, Trevor Meisner, and Jack Walker selected first and chose Dylan Gardner, a senior righthanded pitcher from Meridian, Idaho.  Gardner has had a tremendous fall and was not a huge shock. Dylan wrapped up the fall with a stellar 2.08 ERA and will toe the rubber in game 1. 
 
 Navy then countered with their first two selections of infielder Ethan He (Junior from Riverton, UT) and infielder Petey Soto Jr. (Freshman from St. George, UT).  
 
When asked about their first picks, Red Co-Captain Morgan Albrecht said, "The kid (Gardner) has a live arm and fills the zone up. He has a presence on the mound. That to me is a #1 pick."  
 
While Navy Co-Captain Hank Dodson was asked about He and Soto Jr. and stated "We wanted the middle of the future and I trust their bats to get it done".  Fun fact, Dodson and Albrecht were both first rounds picks in 2022.
 
With the first round completed, the Captains had a chance to reflect on their first round picks.  "We came into the draft with a good plan and executed it well. There were some surprises from the other side that we had to adjust to, but overall we got the guys we wanted." said the Red Captains.  
 
While in year's past, there have been some depth concerns, this year the draft was a deep as it has ever been.  "Each team clearly had a plan and executed that plan.  It is obvious how much each team values pitching and defense." Stated World Series commissioner Chris Pfatenhauer.
         
Red had the chance to pick two players in the second round and cashed in with two solid picks, both newcomers and both from Nevada:  freshman infielder Kyle McDaniel (Pahrump, NV) and junior utility player Hunter Katschke (Las Vegas, NV).  
 
McDaniel has not disappointed this fall and is a versatile player.  Katschke burst on the scene a year ago as the SWAC POY and hasn't missed a beat this fall.  
 
"We took what we thought was the best available players and thin overall we won day one." – Red Staff.  
 
The Navy squad countered by adding two very good players, Jacob Taggart (Junior from Katy, TX) and Aaron Perez (Junior from Santa Ana, CA).  
 
Pfatenhauer on the Navy picks -- "Taggart and Perez bring a ton of maturity to the squad…Great Picks!"  
 
Taggart has had a solid career thus far, but is still trying to find the magic from U of A two seasons ago.  While Perez has been no stranger to success either.  Aaron posted a .310 average and led the team in doubles this fall.
         
As the captains built their rosters through night one of the draft, it was clear that pitching was the priority, as seven of the next 12 picks were arms.  Red added local product Carston Herman (Sophomore LHP) and Blake Borgogno (senior infielder) while Navy added two pitchers; Justin Woodbury (RS junior) and Ky Decker (Senior).  
 
Herman and Borgogno bring a veteran presence and some quality division one experience.  Herman logged 52 innings and Blake had 106 AB's in 2023.  
 
Woodbury and Decker are destined to live up to the expectations, we shall see.  Woodbury has dealt with injuries while Decker is trying to match his stellar year at USU Eastern in '23. 
 
 In the fourth round, Red countered with an arm and a banger in sophomore right hander Dakoda West (Orem, UT) and infielder Dryden Howse (Okotoks, Alberta).  
 
At this time last year, West was projecting as the Trailblazer's #3 starter, so the stuff is there.  And Howse looks to be the real deal this fall hitting .300 and posting a .475 OBP. 
 
"I really like what these guys have done, adding lefthanded bats and high leverage arms." – Pfatenhauer stated. 
 
Navy turned their attention to the middle of the diamond with their next couple picks, selecting righty Carson Bonus and outfielder Karson Irvin.  
 
"These guys are team guys and should add good chemistry to a Navy squad that boasts of their team," said Co-Captain Ryan Hardman.  
 
Red's final picks of night one were a catcher Connor Tallakson (Junior from Irvine, CA) and outfielder Cayden Clark (RS sophomore from Toole, UT).  Connor is a plus defender behind the plate that can really handle the bat. Cayden bring an abundance of athleticism to the park and we will see if the Red captains can get it out of him.  
 
The final choices of the night were made by Navy, when they selected Levi Randall and Cade Montgomery with their final picks.  
 
Randall got his feet wet in 2023 and lit up the World Series scoreboard in '22.  Monty has the stuff to be a true stopper. A 92 MPH fastball and a hammer to go with it makes him very formidable, but command has been his Achilles Heel thus far in '23. 
 
Navy Co-Captain Chase Rodriguez stated "We think we have the best bats combined with the best defensive talent, and arms that keep guys off balance."
 
"You would have to say that Navy has the advantage right now from a defensive standpoint, but there is a long way to go still.  Depth and competitiveness will be the biggest and final determining factor," stated Pfatenhauer.  

On day two of the draft, both sets of captains finalized their rosters tonight and we are off and running. Both Red and Navy attacked, as they went hard after the final arms that remained. Each side felt like they snagged a sleeper in day 2. Red stated, "adding two-way guys Katschke, McDaniel and Bogo (Blake Borgogno and the 2022 MVP) as our first three bats…That's the heart of our offense.
 
The Red club wrapped up day two by adding five arms, two catchers, and an infielder.  Carson Angeroth and Evan Vasiliou add solid experience to go along with the three newcomers to the staff, Eastin Brooks, Matt Nelson, and Marco Viteri. Mike Albanese and Josh Rojas will add depth behind the plate for Red and returning starter Garrett Cutting will get his first shot at the World Series after missing last year's due to a hamstring injury.
 
Navy countered with four pitchers, and infielder, and an outfielder. Jace Carroll, Ben Clark, Jonah Marshall, and Aaron Morris will combine to make a ferocious bullpen for the Navy side, while Ethan Royal and Brennen Study both bring some dynamic tools to the batter's box.  Carroll, Clark, and Marshall all got a taste of it last year and are prepped to thrive in the World Series environment this fall.
 
The Red club is opening with Dylan Gardner on the mound, while Navy was a bit more up in the air. Their analytics team and their coaching staff don't seem to see eye to eye, but Navy will go with the rookie Cade Montgomery.  Red Co-Captain Walker said, "We decided early on to take DG (Gardner) first if we had the chance...he is our guy! 
 
The Red squad completed day two by adding Zach Thomas, Sinjun Johnson, and Melanie Dallimore to their organization.  While it will be each of their first year on the sidelines for the World Series, they all bring a wealth of knowledge to their side. Navy will go to battle with the more veteran staff in Braxton Ipson, Matt Cardone, and Brook Tanner. Ipson, Cardone, and Tanner combine for eleven years of World Series experience and that may push their side over the top. 

Game one (7 innings) of the World Series is Thursday, November 2 at 4:37 pm at Bruce Hurst Field. Game two (9 innings) will take place on Friday, November 3 at 4:37 pm, and the Series wraps up on Saturday (7 innings), November 4 at 1:07 pm.