Northwoods Eau Claire Express

Former Express Casey Gillaspie Selected in First Round of MLB Draft

Published on June 5, 2014 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Eau Claire Express News Release


Two summers ago, Casey Gillaspie wowed fans at Carson Park with one of the best individual summers anyone has ever had in an Express uniform.

Two years later, he heard his name called as the 20th-overall pick in the first round of the 2014 Major League Baseball Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Gillaspie surpasses Jordan Zimmermann's second-round selection in 2007 as the highest drafted player in Express team history.

"Casey is well deserving," Field Manager Dale Varsho said. "He's a person to reckon with. He's a major leaguer, there's no question. He's a switch-hitting big guy that plays a great first base. I'm happy for him, and I'm sure he's a player we'll see in the big leagues."

Under Varsho in 2012, Gillaspie hit .333 with a team-record 12 home runs and 38 RBI. He was also a Northwoods League All-Star.

He exploded at Wichita State after his summer in Eau Claire. In 2013, he hit .299 for the Shockers with 11 home runs and 46 RBI.

This spring, he exploded for a .389 average with 15 home runs and 50 RBI. He was second in all of college baseball with a .520 on-base percentage and was fifth in home runs.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Omaha, Neb., native has an older brother, Conor, who is the starting third-baseman for the Chicago White Sox.

Major League scouts have said it's the patience Gillaspie has at the plate, along with being a powerful switch-hitter, that makes him an appealing prospect.

Gillaspie will attempt to join former Express players Zimmermann and Angels outfielder Kole Calhoun in the Major Leagues and provide even more history to the baseball-rich city of Eau Claire as well as the Express organization.

"I think it's something we all kind of expecting with how he did here and how he's doing at Wichita State since he's left," Express General Manager Andy Neborak said. "Just for credibility for us, and assuming he goes through the minors like we would all kind of expect and get to the big leagues, it could be a really big thing for us."

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Northwoods League Stories from June 5, 2014


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central