Over the years the Paladins baseball team has produced 48 players who went on to play at some level of professional baseball, so it's no surprise when there are a couple of scouts in the stands at Latham Stadium. In 2013, the Paladins produced three MLB draft picks, all selected by the Los Angeles Angels organization.
Class of 2013 graduate Nate Smith was the 21st pick in the eighth round and the 247th overall selection. He was the highest pick in Furman history since current head coach Ron Smith was drafted in 1977 by the Philadelphia Phillies 230th overall.
Smith was the number one starter for the Paladins in his senior season, finishing with a 7-4 record, a 3.59 earned run average, and 98 strikeouts in 100 1/3 innings of work. In his first year in the Angels’ organization, playing in rookie ball with the Orem Owlz (Utah), he continued to pitch well. In 15 appearances, including nine starts, he went 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA and 31 strikeouts.
Following Nate Smith, the Angels took fellow Paladin Taylor Johnson with the 21st pick in the 31st round. A home-grown talent from Greer, S.C., Johnson was at the core of a very powerful Paladin offense in 2013. He batted .332 with 10 home runs and 56 runs batted in. He will report to Tempe, Ariz., to play for the Arizona League Angels in rookie ball, a level below his teammate Nate Smith. Johnson did not perform as well as hoped though: in 182 at bats he hit .236 with two home runs and 22 RBIs.
Johnson acknowledged his need to improve.
“I just need to get better,” he said. “[The coaches] want me to play more first base than right field, so I just need to get comfortable there.”
Making the transition to professional baseball from college is a big step, but moving primary positions can be an ordeal. When Johnson gets his groove back, look for him to improve on last season's stats.
For the third time in the 2013 draft, the Los Angeles Angels selected a Paladin, this time taking Ben Carlson, another home-grown talent from Mauldin, S.C., with the 21st pick in the 40th round. In his senior season he finished with a deceiving 5-3 record, 4 saves, and a 4.64 ERA. He’s much better than his numbers show though and was a key asset for the Paladins in the bullpen the past two seasons.
With Johnson, Carlson travelled to Tempe to play for the Arizona League Angels, where he had an outstanding season. In 26 innings pitched, he recorded a 4-0 record, with 10 saves, 15 strikeouts, and an ERA of 1.73. It was good enough to get called up to Orem with teammate Nate Smith in early September. Though he only had three appearances with Orem, allowing four runs in 3 1/3 innings, he did enough to get himself noticed by the organization.
All three players have been asked to report to Minor League Spring Training at the beginning of March, and they’re looking forward to getting back out on the field and continuing to pursue the dream of playing for a Major League club.