Several Former Gator Baseball Players Enter Professional Ranks
Tuesday, June 30, 2015 | Baseball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Outfielder Harrison Bader and right-handers Aaron Rhodes and Mike Vinson from the 2015 Gator baseball team each recently signed a professional contract and have joined their new organizations.
Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round with the 100th selection in the Major League Baseball Draft, Bader has been assigned to the State College (Pa.) Spikes of the New York-Penn League, the Cardinals' Class A short-season affiliate.
Tabbed as an All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and Perfect Game, Bader batted .297 in his junior season and was second on the Gators in total bases (145), RBI (66), walks (33), homers (17) and slugging percentage (.566). He tied for first on the club with 16 doubles, boasted a perfect fielding percentage and was among the national leaders with 10 outfield assists.
Bader also became the 11th player in school history to record 20+ home runs, 100+ RBI and 30+ steals over his career. In 170 games, including 168 starts, the Bronxville, N.Y., native batted .313, drove in 112 runs, swiped 36 bases and belted 20 round-trippers. Bader was a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy this season, was chosen to the NCAA College World Series All-Tournament Team and was a member of the NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team. As a sophomore, he led the Orange and Blue with a .337 average, earned second-team All-SEC honors and was voted All-Tourney at both the NCAA Gainesville Regional and the SEC Tournament. He collected SEC All-Freshman recognition in 2013, when he paced the Gators with a .312 clip and 15 stolen bases in 21 attempts.
Rhodes was chosen by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 28th round at No. 855 and will begin his professional career with the Orem (Utah) Owlz of the Pioneer League. Over 17 appearances this season for UF, the righty was 2-0 with a 3.73 ERA and registered 31 strikeouts in 31.1 innings, while holding opponents to a .191 batting average.
In 2014, Rhodes turned in a 5-2 record with a 2.48 ERA and three saves in 20 appearances, including four starts. He was second on the squad with 51 strikeouts in 54.1 innings and limited opponents to a .221 batting average. The Venice, Fla., native was chosen as the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week and as the SEC Pitcher of the Week after twirling a one-hit shutout against Missouri. In 50 career appearances for the Orange and Blue, with five starts, Rhodes had an 8-2 ledger and a 3.20 ERA in 104 innings and notched 96 strikeouts.
Vinson was picked by the Detroit Tigers in the 24th round at No. 730 and is now with the team's affiliate in the Gulf Coast League. He was 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in seven appearances spanning six innings this season after being sidelined in 2014. As a freshman in '13, the Miami native made 17 relief appearances and was 1-0 with a 4.79 ERA. He totaled 19 strikeouts and permitted six walks in 20.2 innings and registered three strikeouts in four different outings. Vinson sported a career record of 3-0 and a 4.39 ERA in 24 relief appearances.
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