6 Vaqueros taken in MLB draft

CASA GRANDE — Four members of the 2017 Central Arizona College team were selected in the Major League Baseball draft, in addition to two former Vaquero players.

Pitcher Ryley Widell was taken with the first pick in the seventh round (No. 196 overall) by the Minnesota Twins. The left-hander went 8-2 with a 1.98 ERA for CAC, striking out 115 and walking 39 in 95 2/3 innings.

Also among the 1,215 selections in the 40-round draft, which began Monday and concluded Wednesday, were pitchers Peyton Remy, Sati Santa Cruz and Conner O'Neil, third baseman Matt Kroon and outfielder Ernie De La Trinidad.

Remy went to the Chicago Cubs in the 17th round as pick No. 525 overall. The right-hander was 4-6 with a 3.28 ERA, struck out 90 and walked 39 in 85 innings.

Kroon was taken by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 30th round with pick No. 893. He batted .266 with a .382 on-base percentage, 20 RBIs, nine extra-base hits (three doubles, four triples, two home runs) and eight stolen bases. Kroon is the son of former major league pitcher Marc Kroon.

Santa Cruz also was drafted by the Phillies, going in the 32nd round as the No. 953 selection. The right-handed reliever went 0-1 with a 4.85 ERA in 13 appearances, striking out 18 and walking 14 in 13 innings.

Widell, Remy, Kroon and Santa Cruz all were sophomores at CAC in 2017.

O'Neil was taken in the seventh round out of Cal State Northridge by the New York Mets as the No. 217 pick. The right-hander went 5-4 with a 2.70 ERA in his senior season with the Matadors, striking out 63 and walking 27 in 50 innings.

The Arizona Diamondbacks took De La Trinidad in the 19th round with pick No. 562. As a redshirt sophomore for UNLV in 2017, De La Trinidad batted .361 with 30 RBIs and 21 extra-base hits (nine doubles, five triples, seven home runs).

The deadline for teams to sign drafted players is July 15.