The Mavericks League held their first ever draft on Friday, April 9 and many players with local ties will be playing in the league’s inaugural season.
South Salem senior catcher/infielder Danny Alvarado was selected by the Portland Mavericks with the 20th overall pick. Alvarado was a first-team all Mountain Valley Conference selection as a sophomore with the Saxons in 2019 and will play for Wenatchee Valley Community College next spring — the Mavericks League does not pay players, so Alvarado will be able to retain his amateur status.
The Campesinos de Salem-Keizer drafted five players that played for Western Oregon University — left-handed pitcher Austin Crowson (22nd pick) infielder Collin Runge (30th), right-handed pitcher AJ Burke (32nd), infielder Patrick Chung (38th) and right-handed pitcher Cam Walker (46th).
The Campesinos also drafted former Oregon State standout Trevor Morrsion with the sixth overall pick. Morrison was a starting infielder for the Beavers from 2014-16 and was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 12th round of 2016 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft.
A pair of former Salem-Keizer Volcanoes players in Israel Cruz and Keyberth Mejias are coming back to Keizer to play in the Mavericks League. Cruz, a right-handed pitcher, was picked up by the Salem Senators, while Mejias was selected by the Volcanoes as a catcher.
Cruz played for the Volcanoes in 2019, appearing in 19 games and posting a 2-1 record with a 4.62 ERA in 25.1 innings. Meijas appeared in seven games for Salem-Keizer in 2019 and went 6-for-25 at the plate.
Former McKay, Chemeketa and Western Oregon outfielder Alex Emerson was selected by the Salem Senators with the 44th pick. Riley Newman, a former pitcher at West Salem and Linfield University, was selected by the team with the 76th pick. Javon Logan, a former all-state outfielder at Regis who currently plays at Chemeketa, was also picked up by the Senators
Additionally, right-handed pitcher Matt Dunaway, another Western Oregon product, was selected by the the Senators.
The only player with a direct Keizer connection that was drafted was Mickey Walker, a right-handed pitcher who was selected by the Senators with the 57th pick — Walker is the CEO of the Mavericks League and hasn’t decided if he will play. Walker pitched at McNary and was named the 2014 Greater Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year before going on the play college baseball at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Wash.
Matt Rawlings: [email protected]