Coastal Carolina pitcher taken in third round of the Major League Baseball draft
This has been a lost year of baseball for Coastal Carolina righthanded pitcher Zach McCambley, whose junior season was cut short after just four starts when the college baseball season was canceled because of the coronavirus.
But it took a positive, life-changing turn on Thursday.
McCambley was selected by the Miami Marlins in the third round of the Major League Baseball draft with the 75th overall pick.
The draft, which was 40 rounds in 2019, began with Wednesday’s first round and was limited to five rounds largely because of the disruption to the game caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Neither a 2020 major league nor minor league season has been announced yet.
McCambley, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound righthander from Mount Pocono, Pa., compiled a 12-4 record and 3.89 earned-run average in two-plus seasons at CCU, allowing 139 hits and 59 walks with 158 strikeouts in 141 innings. Opponents batted .253 against him.
He was off to a strong start to the 2020 season, going 3-1 with a 1.80 ERA, 32 strikeouts, and 20 hits and seven walks allowed in 25 innings. He threw more than 100 pitches in three of his four starts and opponents batted just .208 against him.
Both McCambley and CCU outfielder Parker Chavers, who was also a junior this past year, were ranked in the top 60 of D1Baseball’s 2020 Top 100 College Prospect Rankings, the top 100 of several other prospect rankings and top 107 according to MLB.com.
Both have two years of eligibility remaining, and the Chants have apparently retained a big bat in Chavers, who was not selected in the 160-player draft.
The 5-11, 185-pounder with speed and power has batted .319 in 119 games in his two-year CCU career with 22 home runs, 24 doubles, five triples, 96 RBIs, 102 runs scored and 19 stolen bases. He has a .435 on-base percentage and .554 slugging percentage, and has made four errors in the field.
The Montgomery, Ala., native did not play this past season, as he was expected to be out of the lineup until early May after he had shoulder surgery in December. He was named a 2020 College Preseason Second Team All-American by both Perfect Game and Baseball America after hitting .316 with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs in 2019.
The Chants are still likely to lose another player or more at 9 a.m. Sunday or thereafter, when 2019-20 college seniors or graduates who were not drafted can sign with major league teams. They are limited to signing bonuses of $20,000 or less, however.
The Chants had five seniors who have been granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA to play in 2021 if they choose in shortstop Scott McKeon of Raleigh, N.C., outfielder Morgan Hyde of Evans, Ga., lefthanded pitcher Scott Kobos of Charlotte, N.C., and relief pitchers Jay Causey of Conway and Chase Antle of Grove City, Ohio.
None are expected to return. Both McKeon and Antle told The Sun News on Thursday they will sign with a major league team if offered, and they are expected to receive offers.
“If I receive a pro offer I will be taking it. If I do not get an offer I will be returning to Coastal,” McKeon said.
McKeon was drafted in the 21st round last year by the Detroit Tigers but chose to return to the Chants, and Antle, who was a graduate transfer from Bowling Green, said he will earn his master’s degree in July. Antle was hitting 99 mph on the radar gun in early-season appearances as a short reliever.
“I wish I was able to get a full season in Conway but will definitely be forever in debt to what they did to get me in the position I am right now,” Antle said.
CCU associate head coach Kevin Schnall said neither Causey nor Hyde plan to return. Causey hopes to receive a pro opportunity and Hyde is transferring to pursue a master’s degree.
Kobos said he is either transferring as a graduate to play where he can pursue a graduate degree in engineering or statistics, or will preferably sign with a Major League Baseball team as a free agent after the draft. He was drafted in the 38th round by the Cleveland Indians in 2017 and chose to attend Coastal as an incoming junior.
The five-round draft also included 14 additional “competitive balance” picks that awarded eight teams picks following the first round and an additional six teams picks following the second round. Those teams were granted picks based on a formula that considers winning percentage and team revenue, so there were a total of 160 picks Wednesday and Thursday.
With an anticipated consolidation of Minor League Baseball teams, the likely cancellation of most if not all minor league seasons, and MLB teams shutting down over the past few months because of the coronavirus, hundreds of minor league players have been released by MLB clubs in the past two weeks.
As the 75th pick overall, McCambley is the fifth-highest pick in CCU history behind Mickey Brantley (35th), Kirt Manwaring (35th), Anthony Meo (63rd) and Mike Costanzo (65th).
McCambley is the seventh Chant to be selected in the top three rounds of the draft and the highest pick since Jacob May went in the third round as the 91st pick to the Chicago White Sox in 2013. He is also the 14th Chant to be taken in the first five rounds and the first since Michael Paez was taken in the fourth round by the New York Mets in 2016.
This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 7:14 PM.
