VA/DC Draft Check-in: Draft Class of 2019 Part 1

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The 2019 draft class was a banner one for Virginia/DC. While only three prep players were selected, the high school Class of 2016 delivered on its promise and driving the number of drafted players up. Over the next few days, we are going to check in on how the players drafted in June did in their first summer in pro ball. Today we look at members of the high school Class of 2016 taken June's draft, check back later this week for the rest of the draft class.

Jake Agnos LHP / Battlefield, VA / 2016 After three seasons at East Carolina, Agnos was selected by the Yankees in the 4th round of the draft. He threw 100 innings during the college season so his workload was limited in pro ball, making 1 appearance in Rookie ball before making 4 appearances for Staten Island in the short-season New York Penn League. He posted a 4.50 ERA for Staten Island in 10 innings while striking out 9 batters.

Carter Bach LHP / Centreville, VA / 2016 Bach moved to the bullpen in 2019 for Wake Forest, where he was able to earn a 34th round selection by the Rays. Tampa Bay sent him to Princeton in the Rookie level Appalachian League, where he made 16 appearances. Bach threw 33 innings with a 5.18 ERA, striking out 25 batters.

Michael Bienlien RHP / Great Bridge, VA / 2016 Bienlien was selected in the 24th round out of NC State by the Tigers. He earned some miles this summer, making appearances for 4 affiliates, reaching as high as High Single-A Lakeland. Overall, he appeared in 19 games, throwing 36.2 innings with a a 3.93 ERA while striking out 37 batters.

Jared DiCesare 3B / Chantilly, VA / 2016 DiCesare was taken out of George Mason in the 17th round by the Blue Jays after multiple years in the Patriots' weekend rotation. He spent time during the summer at Bluefield in the Rookie level Appalachian League as well as Vancouver in the short season Class-A Northwest League. For Vancouver, he made 7 appearances with 2 starts, throwing 27 innings with a 3.64 ERA, striking out 25 batters and walking just 5.

Brenton Doyle OF / Kettle Run, VA / 2016 Doyle initially went to VMI after high school before transferring quickly to Shepherd, where he put together 3 outstanding seasons and ultimately earning a selection by the Rockies in the 4th round. He spent the rest of the summer at Rookie level Grand Junction, where he continued to dominate, hitting .383 with a .611 slugging percentage and mashing 8 home runs in just 180 at-bats while also stealing 17 bases.

Logan Driscoll C / Lake Braddock, VA / 2016 Driscoll was the first Virginia/DC player taken in the June draft when the Padres selected him out of George Mason with a Competitive Balance B pick between the 2nd and 3rd rounds. He was assigned to short-season Class A Tri-City where he put together a solid summer. He hit .268 and slugged .458. He hit 3 home runs and 14 doubles in just 142 at-bats. He also threw out 27% of baserunners.

Connor Gillispie RHP / Miller School, VA / 2016 Gillispie was selected in the 9th round by the Orioles out of VCU after spending the season as one of the Rams weekend starters and dominating the A-10. He was assigned to short-season Class A Aberdeen where he moved to the bullpen as the Ironbirds closer. He put together a 1.77 ERA over 20.1 innings, allowing just 13 hits and striking out 21.

Conor Grammes RHP / McLean, VA / 2016 Grammes was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 5th round out of Xavier, where he had starred as a two-way player and had shown the ability to reach the high-90s with his fastball. The Diamondbacks sent him to short season Class A Hillsboro as a pitcher only, where he made 9 appearances including 6 starts. He compiled a 4.11 ERA over 15.1 innings while striking out 20 batters.

Zack Hess RHP / Liberty Christian Academy, VA / 2016 Hess was selected in the 7th round by the Tigers, marking the third time that had been drafted. The big righty signed this time, ending his career at LSU and he actually made three stops this summer in the Tigers' minor league system, making appearances in the GCL, and Short Season A before finally settling in with full season Class A West Michigan in the Midwest League as the closer. He made 16 appearances with a 2.57 ERA in 21 innings, striking out 22 batters while also earning 7 saves.

Kevin Kelly RHP / Paul VI, VA / 2016 Kelly has been an important piece of the James Madison pitching staff for the last three years, and after making 15 starts for the Dukes in 2019, he was drafted in the 19th round by the Indians. He spent the summer in the Rookie level Gulf Coast League, throwing 17.1 innings over 14 appearances while compiling a 2.08 ERA. He struck out 25 batters in that stretch while walking just 2.

Zachary Kent RHP / Northumberland, VA / 2016 Kent was taken by the Rangers in the 9th round coming off of a big junior season at VMI that saw him strike out 132 batters in 97 innings. He made one appearance in Rookie ball before settling into a role for short season Class A Spokane in the Northwest League. He made 11 appearances, with 7 starts, and threw 19.1 innings with a 5.12 ERA. He struck out 18 batters.

Andre Lipcius 3B / Lafayette, VA / 2016 Lipcius was the second Virginian selected this spring when the Tigers took him in the third round after a 17 homer junior year at Tennessee. He was assigned straight to full season Class A West Michigan, playing alongside Hess. His batting average was solid at .273, and he had 16 doubles and 2 home runs 253 at-bats.

Noah Murdock RHP / Colonial Heights, VA / 2016 Murdock was taken by the Royals in the 7th round after earning steady innings for Virginia this spring. He was assigned Burlington in the Rookie level Appalachian League where he made 11 appearances, including 6 starts. He was very good, throwing 37.1 innings with a 2.17 ERA while notching 43 strikeouts against just 11 walks.

Vinnie Pasquantino 1B / James River (Midlothian), VA / 2016 Pasquantino was taken out of Old Dominion in the 11th round by the Royals, coming off of a college season that saw him mash 16 home runs. He continued hitting for power at Burlington in the Rookie level Appalachian League, where he hit .294 and slugged .592. In just 211 at-bats, he mashed 14 home runs and 17 doubles while driving in 53 runs.

Zach Peek RHP / Jefferson Forest, VA / 2016 Peek was a late bloomer in high school who went to Winthrop where he was a rotation regular as a sophomore and junior. The Angels selected him in the 6th round of the June draft. Peek was not assigned to a club this summer, likely due to his higher innings count during his season at Winthrop.

Nick Robertson RHP / Franklin County, VA / 2016 Robertson was selected out of James Madison by the Dodgers in the 7th round of June's draft. He made two stops at Rookie ball this summer after signing, making 5 appearances in the Arizona League at the Dodgers' facility and then making 11 appearances for Ogden in the Pioneer League. He compiled a 1.65 ERA over 16.1 innings while striking out 23 batters and walking just one.

Sam Ryan RHP / Fairfax, VA / 2016 Ryan spent 2019 as VCU's closer and was selected in the 12th round by the Blue Jays. He spent the summer in the Appalachian League with Bluefield, making 11 appearances including 8 starts. He worked 41.1 innings with a 6.31 ERA. He struck out 35 batters and only walked 8.

Jamie Sara RHP / West Potomac, VA / 2016 Sara was taken in the draft out of high school and elected not to sign, choosing to continue his career at William & Mary, where he parlayed a solid 2019 performance into a 25th round selection by the Phillies. He only threw 2 innings over 4 appearances for Philadelphia's Gulf Coast affiliate, striking out 3.

Garrett Stallings RHP / Grassfield, VA / 2016 Stallings spent the spring as the ace at Tennessee, going 8-5 with a 3.33 ERA for the Vols. The Angels selected him in the 5th round and like Peek, opted not to assign him to a team this summer after throwing 102 innings for Tennessee.

More VA/DC 2019 Draft Coverage