Three more Cal Bears were taken in the MLB Draft—including Brandon McIlwain

Days one and two of the MLB Draft saw a total of four California Golden Bears get drafted—two each day.

Day three saw three more Bears get their name called, bringing Cal’s total to seven Bears. The first Bear to be taken on this day was in the twelfth round—Arman Sabouri to the Milwaukee Brewers.

“Then I heard ‘Arman Sabouri’ on the live stream and I just went into shock,” [Sabouri] said.

The lefty split this season between starting as an “opener,” usually throwing two to four innings, and coming out of the bullpen, where he recorded four saves.

Sabouri said he’s likely to sign a contract and begin his professional career, and that he’d be ready for whatever role the Twins would have in mind for him.

After that, fellow member of the pitching staff Rogelio Reyes was taken in the twenty-second round by the Minnesota Twins.

Reyes expressed joy at the recognition that he and his six fellow Bears earned over these past three days.

“Those are my brothers,” Reyes said. “We’re always going to stay in touch. I’m just a proud brother, really.”

The final Golden Bear to be drafted yesterday was our two-sport man—Brandon McIlwain; the Miami Marlins selected him in the twenty-sixth round. Nevertheless, it doesn’t look like he’ll be taking his talents to South Beach just yet as he has some unfinished business at Cal.

“It really has been my dream since I was little to be drafted,” McIlwain said. “It was surreal.”

But McIlwain, who played as a redshirt sophomore this season, said he’s planning to return to Cal for another year. He suffered a foot injury in a late-April game at Oregon State and didn’t return.

”I feel like I have some more time in me left at Cal,” McIlwain said.

Congrats to these three Bears and good luck!