Fresno State Athletics
Former Bulldog Ward grabs starting All-Star Game nod
8/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By: Travis Blanshan
tblanshan@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
Fresno, Calif. - Former Fresno State Bulldog catcher Taylor Ward, a 2015 first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Angels, will play in the inaugural Pioneer-Northwest League All-Star Game on Tuesday evening at Avista Stadium in Spokane, Wash.
Played for the first time, this historic game will pit the top talent in Rookie ball from the eight-team Pioneer League against the eight-team Northwest League. 14 different MLB franchises are represented in the two leagues as both the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks have a team in each league.
Ward, playing for the Orem Owlz of the Pioneer League, has gotten off to a fantastic start to his professional career this summer hitting .349 through his first 32 games. The Oviedo, Fla. native has 38 hits in 109 at-bats, including four doubles, a triple and two home runs. Ward leads the Owlz, located in Orem, Utah, with a .489 on-base percentage and has scored 20 runs along with driving in 19 RBI. He has notched 10 multi-hit games, including a pair of four-hit performances on June 24 and 26.
Ward was drafted by the Angels with the 26th pick of the MLB Draft on June 8 as he became the highest drafted catcher in Fresno State history. The fourth first-round pick under head coach Mike Batesole, Ward was the highest Bulldog player selected in the draft since Matt Garza was picked 25th by the Minnesota Twins in 2005.
Ward wrapped up his junior season at Fresno State in May with a Mountain West All-Tournament Team selection, a four-game span where he went 8-for-16 (.500) from the plate with nine RBIs and two runs scored. Ward recorded a hit in all four games and posted three hits in two of the four games in Reno, Nev.
For the season, Ward was the only Bulldog to start all 59 games of the season -- 57 at catcher and two as the designated hitter. He registered a .304 batting average in his third-year at Fresno State and led the team in several offensive categories, which included RBIs (42), walks (35) and total bases (104), while also tying the team-lead in home runs (7) and stolen bases (7). Ward boasted a slugging percentage of .486 and a .413 on-base percentage. He earned first-team All-Mountain West selection on May 20 after being a second-team selection in 2014.
In his career, Ward hit .288 from the plate with 157 hits, 83 runs scored and 98 RBIs. He smacked 29 doubles and 16 home runs while posting a .436 slugging percentage and a .384 on-base percentage.
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