SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

First Round Pick Nolan Schanuel Joins Trash Pandas

July 28, 2023 - Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


MADISON, Alabama - The Rocket City Trash Pandas, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Angels, today announced that infielder Nolan Schanuel, the Angels' first round selection in the 2023 MLB draft, has been promoted to Double-A Rocket City.

Schanuel made his debut July 21st and appeared in five games between the Arizona Complex League Angels and Low-A Inland Empire. He is expected to make his Double-A debut this weekend as the Trash Pandas continue their series against the Tennessee Smokies.

Schanuel (pronounced Shaun-u-el) is off to a hot start as a professional, hitting .500 (7-for-14) with three RBI, five walks, and five runs scored over his first five games.

The first baseman is coming off a historic 2023 season for Florida Atlantic, hitting .447 with 19 home runs, 64 RBI, 71 walks, 18 doubles, and 70 runs scored in 59 games. He led all of Division I baseball in batting average (.447), on-base percentage (.615), and walks (71) while finishing third in the nation in slugging percentage (.868). He reached base safely in 54 straight games, the longest streak in Division I baseball in 2023.

The Angels selected Schanuel with the 11th overall pick in the MLB Draft on July 9, making him the first Florida Atlantic student athlete to be selected in the first round of a professional sports draft. That was the latest in a lengthy list of accomplishments for the 21-year-old out of Boynton Beach, Florida.

This season, Schanuel became the third player in Florida Atlantic history to be named Conference USA Player of the Year and was one of 25 amateur players in the country to be named a semifinalist for USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award.

In three collegiate seasons, Schanuel appeared in 172 games, batting .386 with 46 home runs, 176 RBI, 179 runs scored, a .516 on-base percentage, and a .698 slugging percentage. As a freshman in 2021, he was named a Freshman All-American and Second Team All-C-USA.

Schanuel graduated from Park Vista High School in 2020, where he batted .520 in the pandemic-shortened season. The year prior, he was a First Team All-American outfielder and Class 9A-10 Hitter of the Year after batting .446 with 22 RBI and 27 runs scored.

Schanuel and the Trash Pandas continue their series against the Tennessee Smokies at Toyota Field on Friday night with a 6:35 p.m. matchup. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio. The game will also be televised locally on WAAY 31.6, This TV.

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Southern League Stories from July 28, 2023


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