UTA Players Chosen In MLB Draft
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ARLINGTON, Texas – The final day of the 2015 MLB Draft saw a pair of UT Arlington seniors be selected as first baseman Levi Scott was picked in the 28th round by the Toronto Bluejays, while right-handed pitcher Colin Tornberg went in the 32nd round to the Seattle Mariners.
The picks mark the seventh straight season that the Mavericks have had a player selected, while also having a player taken in 17 of the last 18 drafts. The draft marked the 15th time in UTA baseball history that multiple players have been selected.
“You always want your guys to get drafted,” UT Arlington coach Darin Thomas said. “We don’t stress it when they get here, but we do stress college baseball, getting better and winning. Pro ball is by product of developing into a better player and winning. It’s neat and we’ve had guys make it to the majors which is everybody’s dream.”
Scott, a .316 batter in his UTA career, picked up Sun Belt All-Conference second team honors during the 2015 season at first base. He provided power to the Mavericks batting order this past season, registering team
highs in RBI, home runs and slugging percentage. The Burleson product registered 13 multi-RBI games during his senior campaign and was named to the 2015 Sun Belt Baseball All-Tournament team after going 4-for-13 with six RBI and two runs.
“He was a middle of the order hitter for us and when he wasn’t in there it was a big difference,” Thomas said of Scott. “When we played Baylor, West Virginia and Georgia State, we were struggling to score runs because he wasn’t in the lineup. Looking at those five games really shows how valuable he was to our team this season.”
Tornberg led the Mavericks in saves during the 2015 season with eight, which was the third most by a Sun Belt player and 78th most in the NCAA. The Magnolia native made his mark in UT Arlington history as he sits fourth in single-season saves, while also holding the sixth most career saves by a Maverick at 10. Tornberg stepped into the closer role for UTA during his senior campaign as he registered a 1.12 ERA with six hits and one earned run allowed in his eight save opportunities, while striking out eight.
“Arm strength is his number on thing,” Thomas said of Tornberg. “His biggest attribute is arm strength. He also has a good change up and if they give him time to develop, it will pay off. He also hasn’t thrown a ton of innings so he still has a lot left in there.”
UT Arlington has had 59 total players taken in the MLB Draft since the program’s inception 1969. Scott and Tornberg are the 18th and 19th players to be selected since Thomas took over the program in 2008. The 19 draft picks under Thomas’ watch is second to Maverick legend Butch McBroom who saw 25 players drafted in 26 years at the helm.
