Kris Bryant makes it big
By Hunter Jameson
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Torero baseball did very well toward the end of last season, including winning the West Coast Conference Tournament held in Stockton, Calif. The Toreros beat the University of San Francisco Dons in the championship game 2-0. This victory landed them a spot in the UCLA Regional in Los Angeles. The Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Mustangs, San Diego State University Aztecs and UCLA Bruins were competing with USD for a spot in the Super Regional. The Toreros were able to eliminate both San Diego State 6-3 and Cal Poly 8-5. In the Regional Final, eventual National Champion UCLA beat the Toreros 6-0. The Toreros finished the season with a 37-25 overall record.
Former USD baseball star Kris Bryant was chosen second overall by the Chicago Cubs in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. Bryant had an unbelievable season for Torero baseball, holding a .329 average with 31 home runs, 62 RBIs and 80 runs. His 31 home runs were more than 228 of the 296 teams in Division 1. This performance earned him national post-season awards including: WCC Co-Player of the Year, WCC All-Tournament Team, Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year, consensus first team All-American, the Dick Howser Trophy presented by Easton Foundation to the college baseball Player of the Year and the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award.
The Chicago Cubs rewarded Bryant for his success by presenting him with a $6.7 million signing bonus, the highest of any player in this year’s draft. As the second overall pick, Bryant is the highest drafted baseball player in USD history. He is also the highest drafted player to ever come from the WCC.
Following his signing, Bryant was sent to Mesa, AZ., and then to Class-A ball in Boise, ID to start his professional career. His impressive start of 4 home runs, 16 RBIs and 13 runs in just 18 games in Boise promoted him to the A+ level of professional baseball. He currently plays for the Daytona Cubs. His power has been on display for Cubs fans, blasting three home runs out of 10 hits in just 8 games. It’s only a matter of time before he moves on to the next level. As Bryant continues to shine, the accolades keep rolling in. He was named Florida State League player of the week for Aug. 12-18. The Daytona Cubs have been playing well as a team, leading the Florida State League North division by 6 games. Bryant’s arrival added another serious weapon in the batting order that has helped the other hitters around him.
The Chicago Cubs have recently announced that they will be renovating Wrigley Field and updating the stadium in the near future. Bryant will surely enjoy these updates0 as he makes a surge for Major League Baseball.