'YOUR BODY FLOODS WITH EVERY EMOTION'
6/4/2019 10:49:00 AM | Baseball
Baylor Baseball’s Langeliers, Wendzel Both Selected in the 1st Round
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
One day after their collegiate careers ended, the junior All-American duo of catcher Shea Langeliers and third baseman Davis Wendzel made Baylor baseball history as the first pair of first-round picks in program history.
Langeliers was taken with the ninth pick overall by the Atlanta Braves in Monday's Major League Baseball amateur player draft – the second-highest pick in school history – and the Texas Rangers selected Wendzel with the 41st overall pick and the last in the Competitive Balance Round A.
"That was awesome," said Langeliers, who hit .308 this season with 10 homers, nine doubles, one triple and 42 RBI in 44 games. "I don't know how to describe it. Everybody says there's not a lot of words to describe it, and they're right. That's a moment I'll remember for the rest of my life."
While Oregon State's Adley Rutschman was the No. 1 overall pick by the Baltimore Orioles, the consensus is that Langeliers is the better defensive catcher "and there's more bat in there than people thought," one analyst said.
"We think this guy could be on the fast track potentially to get to the big leagues," Braves vice president of scouting Dana Brown said. "He's got big-time defensive skills and a bat with power. It's a nice package."
Langeliers, who got a call from his advisor just moments before the Braves selected him, said hearing his "name called on live TV in front of a bunch of people you love, and they all care about you, was an awesome moment."
"And your body just kind of floods with every emotion possible," he said.
Just two days earlier, Langeliers hit three home runs and set an NCAA postseason and Baylor single-game record with 11 RBI in the Bears' 24-6 win over Omaha at the NCAA regional in Los Angeles.
When the selection was announced, Shea immediately hugged his dad, Steve Langeliers, and shared a long embrace with Wendzel.
"Wherever it takes me, I'm going to take everything I've got and run with it," he said. "I'm looking forward to that next step, for sure."
The Keller, Texas, native was the first Baylor player selected in the first round since pitcher Aaron Miller in 2009 (36th overall) and the first non-supplemental first-rounder since outfielder David Murphy (17th) by the Boston Red Sox in 2003. Baylor's highest-ever draft pick was pitcher Stan Hilton, who was taken with the fifth pick overall by the Oakland A's in 1983.
Baylor hosted a watch party for Langeliers, Wendzel and their families in the President's Suite at McLane Stadium, with the rest of the team showing up just moments after Wendzel was drafted by the Rangers.
"It's a pretty great experience, not only for our coaching staff but for Baylor baseball and Baylor University, not to mention the two young men who were selected in the 2019 MLB Draft," Baylor coach Steve Rodriguez said.
"What's in it for me is watching them get to achieve their goals, their dreams and the happiness with their families to know that 1, they made the right decision coming to this school and getting coached by our staff, but 2, understanding that their journey is now beginning in the sport they've really chosen to be their career. And once they get to the big leagues, I'll be the first one on the plane to go see them. That's my thing. We score 20 runs, I let a pitcher hit. They get to the big leagues, I will fly there. I want to see them in uniform."
Rodriguez has had 53 players drafted in his 16-year coaching career, but Langeliers and Wendzel were his first players selected in the first round.
"From a coaching standpoint, two first-rounders is pretty special," Rodriguez said. "I think a lot of my guys who have had really good careers and playing professionally still, these two are going to rank right up there with some of those guys. They're both very talented, overly athletic for their position. It's going to be interesting to see where the major league teams decide to put them."
That's especially the case for Wendzel, who was the second third baseman selected by the Rangers in the first round. Texas Tech's Josh Jung, who shared Big 12 Player of the Year honors this season with Wendzel, was taken one spot ahead of Langeliers at No. 8.
"We'll figure that out," Rangers scouting director Kip Fagg said. "We take the best player, that's what we do. Positionally, we'll figure it out. I trust our development staff to put these guys in the best position to help us out as fast as they can. It's not an issue."
Named a third-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball, Wendzel hit .367 with eight home runs, 19 doubles and 42 RBI with a .610 slugging percentage. While he played predominantly at third base for the Bears, he played almost exclusively at shortstop in summer ball last year and has also practiced in the outfield and even at catcher in the fall.
A native Californian, Wendzel said he's "made a lot of friends in Texas, so I'm happy to stay here. I love this state. I'm just very blessed to be picked by the Rangers."
Like Langeliers, Wendzel got a call from his advisor before he was selected.
"I heard some noise in the background, like some yelling, and he said, 'I'll give you a call back in a second,''' Wendzel said. "I walked back in, and everyone was looking for me to give them an answer. And I said, 'I have no idea.'''
When his advisor called back, he asked Davis if he was watching the screen. "I didn't know what was happening, but I came back in and they said my name. It was awesome," he said.
"It was awesome to see Shea go so high. That was unbelievable," Wendzel said. "I was so happy for him. It felt like a while until I got my name called. It was tough, but I knew I wasn't going to be up there with Shea. Obviously, I wanted to be up there with him. So, it was a little tough. But, I'm just very happy and blessed to be picked where I am."
Baylor Bear Insider
One day after their collegiate careers ended, the junior All-American duo of catcher Shea Langeliers and third baseman Davis Wendzel made Baylor baseball history as the first pair of first-round picks in program history.
Langeliers was taken with the ninth pick overall by the Atlanta Braves in Monday's Major League Baseball amateur player draft – the second-highest pick in school history – and the Texas Rangers selected Wendzel with the 41st overall pick and the last in the Competitive Balance Round A.
"That was awesome," said Langeliers, who hit .308 this season with 10 homers, nine doubles, one triple and 42 RBI in 44 games. "I don't know how to describe it. Everybody says there's not a lot of words to describe it, and they're right. That's a moment I'll remember for the rest of my life."
While Oregon State's Adley Rutschman was the No. 1 overall pick by the Baltimore Orioles, the consensus is that Langeliers is the better defensive catcher "and there's more bat in there than people thought," one analyst said.
"We think this guy could be on the fast track potentially to get to the big leagues," Braves vice president of scouting Dana Brown said. "He's got big-time defensive skills and a bat with power. It's a nice package."
Langeliers, who got a call from his advisor just moments before the Braves selected him, said hearing his "name called on live TV in front of a bunch of people you love, and they all care about you, was an awesome moment."
"And your body just kind of floods with every emotion possible," he said.
Just two days earlier, Langeliers hit three home runs and set an NCAA postseason and Baylor single-game record with 11 RBI in the Bears' 24-6 win over Omaha at the NCAA regional in Los Angeles.
When the selection was announced, Shea immediately hugged his dad, Steve Langeliers, and shared a long embrace with Wendzel.
"Wherever it takes me, I'm going to take everything I've got and run with it," he said. "I'm looking forward to that next step, for sure."
The Keller, Texas, native was the first Baylor player selected in the first round since pitcher Aaron Miller in 2009 (36th overall) and the first non-supplemental first-rounder since outfielder David Murphy (17th) by the Boston Red Sox in 2003. Baylor's highest-ever draft pick was pitcher Stan Hilton, who was taken with the fifth pick overall by the Oakland A's in 1983.
Baylor hosted a watch party for Langeliers, Wendzel and their families in the President's Suite at McLane Stadium, with the rest of the team showing up just moments after Wendzel was drafted by the Rangers.
"It's a pretty great experience, not only for our coaching staff but for Baylor baseball and Baylor University, not to mention the two young men who were selected in the 2019 MLB Draft," Baylor coach Steve Rodriguez said.
"What's in it for me is watching them get to achieve their goals, their dreams and the happiness with their families to know that 1, they made the right decision coming to this school and getting coached by our staff, but 2, understanding that their journey is now beginning in the sport they've really chosen to be their career. And once they get to the big leagues, I'll be the first one on the plane to go see them. That's my thing. We score 20 runs, I let a pitcher hit. They get to the big leagues, I will fly there. I want to see them in uniform."
Rodriguez has had 53 players drafted in his 16-year coaching career, but Langeliers and Wendzel were his first players selected in the first round.
"From a coaching standpoint, two first-rounders is pretty special," Rodriguez said. "I think a lot of my guys who have had really good careers and playing professionally still, these two are going to rank right up there with some of those guys. They're both very talented, overly athletic for their position. It's going to be interesting to see where the major league teams decide to put them."
That's especially the case for Wendzel, who was the second third baseman selected by the Rangers in the first round. Texas Tech's Josh Jung, who shared Big 12 Player of the Year honors this season with Wendzel, was taken one spot ahead of Langeliers at No. 8.
"We'll figure that out," Rangers scouting director Kip Fagg said. "We take the best player, that's what we do. Positionally, we'll figure it out. I trust our development staff to put these guys in the best position to help us out as fast as they can. It's not an issue."
Named a third-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball, Wendzel hit .367 with eight home runs, 19 doubles and 42 RBI with a .610 slugging percentage. While he played predominantly at third base for the Bears, he played almost exclusively at shortstop in summer ball last year and has also practiced in the outfield and even at catcher in the fall.
A native Californian, Wendzel said he's "made a lot of friends in Texas, so I'm happy to stay here. I love this state. I'm just very blessed to be picked by the Rangers."
Like Langeliers, Wendzel got a call from his advisor before he was selected.
"I heard some noise in the background, like some yelling, and he said, 'I'll give you a call back in a second,''' Wendzel said. "I walked back in, and everyone was looking for me to give them an answer. And I said, 'I have no idea.'''
When his advisor called back, he asked Davis if he was watching the screen. "I didn't know what was happening, but I came back in and they said my name. It was awesome," he said.
"It was awesome to see Shea go so high. That was unbelievable," Wendzel said. "I was so happy for him. It felt like a while until I got my name called. It was tough, but I knew I wasn't going to be up there with Shea. Obviously, I wanted to be up there with him. So, it was a little tough. But, I'm just very happy and blessed to be picked where I am."
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