Sports Editor
WEST PALM BEACH, FL — Normally when one gets out of the shower, they are preparing for doing something else in the day. In the busyness of getting ready, phone calls can be interrupted for that process. For 2017 Wilton graduate Evan Reifert, a phone call while getting ready after getting cleaned up after a workout last week turned out to be a welcoming interruption.
“I was literally getting out of the shower after working out, and my college coach called to tell me that I was drafted by the Texas Rangers,” said Reifert.
“My college coach Travis Hergert called me and was like ‘what the heck, man?’” Reifert said. “I had absolutely zero clues what he was talking about and he was like ‘you just got drafted.’” he said.
Reifert, who is playing baseball this summer for a wood-bat league in Florida, was a 30th round selection by the American League Texas Rangers last week in the 2018 Major League baseball draft. He was selection No. 899.
Reifert said that he followed the draft for the first two days, but went about his business the third and day of the draft. A representative from the Rangers contacted him shortly after the draft started.
“The Rangers actually gave me a call and said that there is a chance that I could get drafted by them, but it would be later. They said they were not sure, and it was uncertain,” he said.
“After the conversation, I was like, well that’s done, I won’t get drafted this year. I watched the first two days, but not the last day,” said Reifert.
Reifert finished his freshman season at North Iowa Area Community College this past spring where he pitches for the Trojans. Reifert, a right-handed pitcher from Wilton, was 1-1 with 28 strikeouts and 21 walks in 17 2/3 innings pitched in his freshman season at NIACC. He was the second player with NIACC ties to be drafted in this year’s draft. Reifert is the fifth player at NIACC to be selected in the MLB first-year player draft.
Reifert said that playing pro baseball has been a dream of his since he was little.
“I want to try to play professional baseball one day. It is really just unreal. I have dreamed about this my entire life, as a little kid playing pro ball has always been a dream. It’s crazy how close it is right now,” he said.
Reifert still needs to meet with the Rangers, where he expects they will make an offer to him to sign. Right now, Reifert plans to return to NIACC for another year to keep getting better and keep getting stronger. Then, in 2019 see if his work next year improves where he is drafted.
“This is really cool. Getting drafted this year, it really builds my confidence up. I mean an MLB team sees my skills and those skills are good enough to be drafted. It makes me want to keep working hard and keep getting better,” he said.
The Texas Rangers are in the American League for Major League Baseball and play in the West Division with four other teams, the Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, Oakland A’s and the Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers have seven minor league affiliates with the top level at Triple-A, the Round Rock Express in Texas.
The Rangers first round selection, Cole Winn was selected at No. 15 and is out of high school (Luthern High School in Orange, CA). The Rangers made 40 selections over the 2018 MLB first-year player draft last week selecting 27 pitchers. The Rangers picked pitchers in ten of their first 14 picks. Overall of the 40 draft picks, 15 are high school kids.
Reifert was injured a lot of the 2017 summer baseball season and didn’t pitch much. As a beavers his junior season, he pitched three no-hitters in the summer of 2016 on his way to a 9-0 season in 49 innings. He had 92 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.29 that summer. For his career, he was 15-3 in 111 2/3 innings. He had 210 career strikeouts and 74 walks. Though he didn’t pitch much last season, he batted well with 44 hits, 9 home runs, 34 RBI’s and a batting average of .454.
Wilton baseball coach Jake Souhrada said that Reifert has put in the work to get this chance.
“It’s exciting for the town of Wilton to have a kid get drafted and have an opportunity to play at the next level,” said Souhrada.
“He put in a lot of time, he’s a kid that loves baseball and puts his heart and soul into it,” he said.
This summer, Reifert is in West Palm Beach, Florida playing for the Jupiter Wave in the Collegiate League of the Palm Beaches, a wood-bat summer league for college baseball players.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL — Normally when one gets out of the shower, they are preparing for doing something else in the day. In the busyness of getting ready, phone calls can be interrupted for that process. For 2017 Wilton graduate Evan Reifert, a phone call while getting ready after getting cleaned up after a workout last week turned out to be a welcoming interruption.
“I was literally getting out of the shower after working out, and my college coach called to tell me that I was drafted by the Texas Rangers,” said Reifert.
“My college coach Travis Hergert called me and was like ‘what the heck, man?’” Reifert said. “I had absolutely zero clues what he was talking about and he was like ‘you just got drafted.’” he said.
Reifert, who is playing baseball this summer for a wood-bat league in Florida, was a 30th round selection by the American League Texas Rangers last week in the 2018 Major League baseball draft. He was selection No. 899.
Reifert said that he followed the draft for the first two days, but went about his business the third and day of the draft. A representative from the Rangers contacted him shortly after the draft started.
“The Rangers actually gave me a call and said that there is a chance that I could get drafted by them, but it would be later. They said they were not sure, and it was uncertain,” he said.
“After the conversation, I was like, well that’s done, I won’t get drafted this year. I watched the first two days, but not the last day,” said Reifert.
Reifert finished his freshman season at North Iowa Area Community College this past spring where he pitches for the Trojans. Reifert, a right-handed pitcher from Wilton, was 1-1 with 28 strikeouts and 21 walks in 17 2/3 innings pitched in his freshman season at NIACC. He was the second player with NIACC ties to be drafted in this year’s draft. Reifert is the fifth player at NIACC to be selected in the MLB first-year player draft.
Reifert said that playing pro baseball has been a dream of his since he was little.
“I want to try to play professional baseball one day. It is really just unreal. I have dreamed about this my entire life, as a little kid playing pro ball has always been a dream. It’s crazy how close it is right now,” he said.
Reifert still needs to meet with the Rangers, where he expects they will make an offer to him to sign. Right now, Reifert plans to return to NIACC for another year to keep getting better and keep getting stronger. Then, in 2019 see if his work next year improves where he is drafted.
“This is really cool. Getting drafted this year, it really builds my confidence up. I mean an MLB team sees my skills and those skills are good enough to be drafted. It makes me want to keep working hard and keep getting better,” he said.
The Texas Rangers are in the American League for Major League Baseball and play in the West Division with four other teams, the Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, Oakland A’s and the Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers have seven minor league affiliates with the top level at Triple-A, the Round Rock Express in Texas.
The Rangers first round selection, Cole Winn was selected at No. 15 and is out of high school (Luthern High School in Orange, CA). The Rangers made 40 selections over the 2018 MLB first-year player draft last week selecting 27 pitchers. The Rangers picked pitchers in ten of their first 14 picks. Overall of the 40 draft picks, 15 are high school kids.
Reifert was injured a lot of the 2017 summer baseball season and didn’t pitch much. As a beavers his junior season, he pitched three no-hitters in the summer of 2016 on his way to a 9-0 season in 49 innings. He had 92 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.29 that summer. For his career, he was 15-3 in 111 2/3 innings. He had 210 career strikeouts and 74 walks. Though he didn’t pitch much last season, he batted well with 44 hits, 9 home runs, 34 RBI’s and a batting average of .454.
Wilton baseball coach Jake Souhrada said that Reifert has put in the work to get this chance.
“It’s exciting for the town of Wilton to have a kid get drafted and have an opportunity to play at the next level,” said Souhrada.
“He put in a lot of time, he’s a kid that loves baseball and puts his heart and soul into it,” he said.
This summer, Reifert is in West Palm Beach, Florida playing for the Jupiter Wave in the Collegiate League of the Palm Beaches, a wood-bat summer league for college baseball players.
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