Y'alls Select Three Players in 2022 Frontier League Draft
April 27, 2022 - Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release
FLORENCE, KY - The Florence Y'alls used three draft picks in Tuesday's 2022 Frontier League Draft to select LHP Griffin Baker, INF Leonardo Seminati, and UTL Blaze Speas. Each player will compete for a spot on the final 24-man roster as spring training camp starts this week.
Baker (Round 1, Pick 15) is a southpaw out of Belmont Abbey College. In 2021, Baker went 2-3 with a 7.45 ERA in 10 appearances. The Durham, NC native struck out 29 batters. His best season came in 2020 when he started all six games and finished with a 2.23 ERA before the season ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of Baker's 49 appearances with the Crusaders, 37 were starts.
Seminati (Round 2, Pick 31) is a former farmhand of the Cincinnati Reds after signing with the club in 2017. Across three seasons and 169 games in the Reds' organization, Seminati hit .242 with 23 Home Runs. He most recently played for Cincinnati's Single-A affiliate, the Daytona Tourtugas, and he also has experience playing professionally for Parma in the Italian Baseball League. Seminati, 23, was born in Alzano Lombardy, Italy.
Speas (Round 3, Pick 47) has professional baseball experience in the Pecos League with the Tucson Saguaros and the High Desert Yardbirds. He is a career .346 hitter in pro ball spanning two years and 22 games. He hit .352 with 5 Home Runs in 2019 for William Penn University. Speas, 25, also played a season at Jackson State University. He is a native of O'Fallon, MO.
Florence elected to forfeit the rest of its picks for the remainder of the draft after choosing Speas. Each team in the Frontier League must pick at least two players; once a team forfeits a pick, its draft is done. Players are selected until all teams forfeit a selection. LHP Anthony Arias was the first overall selection by the Gateway Grizzlies.
The draft and Monday's tryout camp were hosted at Thomas More Stadium, the home of the Florence Y'alls. The tryout camp featured hundreds of prospective players auditioning for all Frontier League teams and scouts. It is the first time the Y'alls have been selected to host the tryout camp and draft.
All Frontier League players report for spring training today, and camp officially starts tomorrow, Thursday, April 28. The Y'alls will play three exhibition games - at the Lake Erie Crushers on May 5, home against the Crushers May 6, and at the Gary SouthShore RailCats (American Association) on May 8 - before the home opener May 12.
The Florence Y'alls are Northern Kentucky's professional baseball team, and are proud members of the independent Frontier League, an MLB Partner League. With a purposeful focus on entertaining our fans, the Y'alls provide affordable, family-friendly entertainment. Y'alls home games are played at Y'alls Ballpark, located at 7950 Freedom Way in Florence, Kentucky. Opening Day for the Y'alls is Thursday, May 12 versus Tri-City. Tickets are on sale now for the 2022 season. More details can be found online at florenceyalls.com or by phone at (859) 594-4487.
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Frontier League Stories from April 27, 2022
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- Y'alls Select Three Players in 2022 Frontier League Draft - Florence Y'alls
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