By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
On Nov. 20, Fred Villarreal had his baseball future figured out.
One phone call from Major League Baseball changed that.
Villarreal, the Brownsville Veterans Memorial starting pitcher who had previously committed to NCAA Division I program Houston, was drafted Saturday by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 22nd round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft.
“It feels awesome, it showed all my hard work paid off,” Villarreal said. “I’m just happy it happened.”
Villarreal learned via Twitter that the Rays took him with the 660th overall pick. Team representatives called him with the news shortly after, and the recent high school graduate spent Saturday evening deciding whether he would follow his dream or honor the college commitment he made to the Cougars.
After weighing his choices, he decided that turning professional was the best choice for himself and his family. Villarreal’s next step involves a move to Florida in the coming days to meet with the organization.
“I might not get the same opportunity again,” Villarreal said of his decision to turn pro. “Your arm could only throw so many bullets, and anything could happen in college. I know with my work ethic anything is possible, but stressing the arm over periods of time will eventually take its toll.”
The dominant right-hander threw four no-hitters during, including a perfect game, and finished 11-1 with a 0.50 ERA, eight complete games (seven shutouts) and a save during his senior prep season. He helped the Chargers win 20 games this season and claim their second consecutive District 32-6A title. Brownsville Veterans went 25-3 in district play over the last two years.
Villarreal was named the All-Metro MVP and was a unanimous selection for the district MVP. In 69 1/3 innings, Villarreal allowed seven runs (five earned), 26 hits, no extra base hits, seven walks and recorded 124 strikeouts as opponents hit just .111 against him.
He also hit .342 (with a .475 on-base percentage), pounding out 27 hits to go with 16 runs scored, seven RBIs, three doubles, two triples and a home run. Villarreal drew 15 walks, struck out just eight times and stole two bases on the season.
“It was a pleasure watching Fred pitch this year,” Brownsville Veterans coach Eric Gonzalez said. “From the beginning, you could see the potential he had to possibly get drafted. As the year went on, he was throwing strikes in pressure situations and he made a name for himself.”
Gonzalez had a few conversations with scouts from Tampa Bay that seemed to be in attendance every time Villarreal was on the mound.
“They liked that he could throw strikes and his control,” Gonzalez said of the Rays scout’s observations. “But they’d have to work on his command.”
The Chargers’ coach wasn’t surprised by Villarreal’s selection midway through the draft’s 40 rounds.
“Nothing about the draft surprises me,” Gonzalez said. “These guys saw something in him and they made a good choice. He has a lot of poise and control for someone his age.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.