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Higgins selected by Orioles on day two of 2021 MLB Draft
7/12/2021 5:00:00 PM | Baseball
FRESNO, Calif. - Junior infielder Ryan Higgins was selected in the ninth round by the Baltimore Orioles on day two of the 2021 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Monday.
Taken with the 257th overall selection, Higgins becomes the 32nd student-athlete under head coach Mike Batesole to be selected in the first 10 rounds of the draft since the skipper became head coach of the Bulldogs in 2003.
A three-year Bulldog out of Atherton, Calif., Higgins had a standout season in 2021 leading the Diamond 'Dogs in average (.352), hits (58), runs (45), doubles (13), triples (3), home runs (11), RBI (41) and total bases (110).
Making starts at four different positions, Higgins also led the team in slugging percentage (.667) and on-base percentage (.453) while ranking second in the conference with 29 walks and accounted for 16 multi-hit games, 13 multi-RBI contests and reached base in 41 of the 'Dogs 45 games.
Higgins earned All-Mountain West honors as a sophomore in 2020 in the COVID-19 shortened season leading the 'Dogs with a .350 average and totaled 21 hits, including seven doubles and two home runs, and played in 27 games as a freshman in 2019 as the Bulldogs won both the Mountain West regular season and tournament championships.
Higgins has totaled 87 career games at Fresno State accounting for 95 hits, 24 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs, 62 RBI and 63 runs scored while hitting .345 from the plate.
The 2021 MLB Draft wraps on Tuesday with rounds 11-20 starting at 9 a.m. PT on MLB.com.
Higgins'Â Fresno State Career Statistics
2019: 27 GP, 5 GS, .320 avg., 16 hits, 4 2B, 0 3B, HR, 9 RBI, 7 runs
2020:Â 15 GP, 6 GS, .350 avg., 21 hits, 7 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 11 runs
2021:Â 45 GP, 44 GS, .352 avg., 58 hits, 13 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 41 RBI, 45 runs
TOTAL: 87 GP, 55 GS, .345 avg., 95 hits, 24 2B, 4 3B, 14 HR, 62 RBI, 63 runs
Fresno State players selected by the Baltimore Orioles
1984: John Hoover, RHP, 1st Round (25th overall)
1990: Erik Schullstrom, RHP, 2nd Round
2012: Gene Escat, RHP, 23rd Round
2013: Austin Wynns, C, 10th Round
2021: Ryan Higgins, INF, 9th Round
Notables
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Taken with the 257th overall selection, Higgins becomes the 32nd student-athlete under head coach Mike Batesole to be selected in the first 10 rounds of the draft since the skipper became head coach of the Bulldogs in 2003.
A three-year Bulldog out of Atherton, Calif., Higgins had a standout season in 2021 leading the Diamond 'Dogs in average (.352), hits (58), runs (45), doubles (13), triples (3), home runs (11), RBI (41) and total bases (110).
Making starts at four different positions, Higgins also led the team in slugging percentage (.667) and on-base percentage (.453) while ranking second in the conference with 29 walks and accounted for 16 multi-hit games, 13 multi-RBI contests and reached base in 41 of the 'Dogs 45 games.
Higgins earned All-Mountain West honors as a sophomore in 2020 in the COVID-19 shortened season leading the 'Dogs with a .350 average and totaled 21 hits, including seven doubles and two home runs, and played in 27 games as a freshman in 2019 as the Bulldogs won both the Mountain West regular season and tournament championships.
Higgins has totaled 87 career games at Fresno State accounting for 95 hits, 24 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs, 62 RBI and 63 runs scored while hitting .345 from the plate.
The 2021 MLB Draft wraps on Tuesday with rounds 11-20 starting at 9 a.m. PT on MLB.com.
Higgins'Â Fresno State Career Statistics
2019: 27 GP, 5 GS, .320 avg., 16 hits, 4 2B, 0 3B, HR, 9 RBI, 7 runs
2020:Â 15 GP, 6 GS, .350 avg., 21 hits, 7 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 11 runs
2021:Â 45 GP, 44 GS, .352 avg., 58 hits, 13 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 41 RBI, 45 runs
TOTAL: 87 GP, 55 GS, .345 avg., 95 hits, 24 2B, 4 3B, 14 HR, 62 RBI, 63 runs
Fresno State players selected by the Baltimore Orioles
1984: John Hoover, RHP, 1st Round (25th overall)
1990: Erik Schullstrom, RHP, 2nd Round
2012: Gene Escat, RHP, 23rd Round
2013: Austin Wynns, C, 10th Round
2021: Ryan Higgins, INF, 9th Round
Notables
- Higgins was the third college infielder taken by the Orioles after second round selection Connor Norby (East Carolina-2B) & sixth-rounder Collin Burns (Tulane-SS).
- Nine of the Orioles' first 10 selections of the MLB Draft have been college players with the lone exception being Texas high school catcher Creed Willems in the eighth round.
- Higgins was the 11th third baseman drafted according to MLB.com and ninth from the college ranks.
- Higgins was the 29th draftee from the state of California.
- Higgins was the fourth player from the Mountain West drafted behind San Jose State's Ruben Ibarra (Reds, INF, 4th Round) and San Diego State's Mike Jarvis (Pirates, INF, 6th Round) & Wyatt Hendrie (Pirates, C, 7th Round).
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateBSB
Instagram:Â fresnostbaseball
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Players Mentioned
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