Only three Sundays ago under the Malibu sunshine, Pepperdine University’s baseball team clinched its first West Coast Conference championship in six years.
Among those celebrating the title were juniors Jon Moscot, Joe Sever and Zach Vincej.
Those three players now have another reason to rejoice. Moscot, Sever and Vincej were all selected in last week’s Major League Baseball Draft, held from June 4-6.
The news came only days after the Waves participated in an NCAA Tournament Regional in Palo Alto, Calif., earning a 2-2 record on the weekend.
“It’s been pretty crazy, but it’s also been a lot of fun too,” Vincej said. “I’ve played baseball my whole life, and this is exactly what I wanted to do by playing in a regional and wanting to go far as a team, but also at the same time being able to get drafted. This is a dream come true for me.”
Vincej was the third of Pepperdine’s three current players to be selected in last week’s draft.
Moscot, a right-handed pitcher from Pacific Palisades, was the first, going in the fourth round to the Cincinnati Reds. Moscot started 15 games for the Waves this season, compiling a 7-5 record with a 2.90 ERA in 115 innings pitched.
On Sunday, Moscot signed a contract with the Reds, ending his career as a Pepperdine Wave.
“When they did call my name it was so exciting, I don’t even know how to put it into words,” Moscot said. “The organization has a lot of history, they develop players really well and their facilities are top of the line.”
Moscot is the only Wave to have made his decision thus far.
Sever, a 21st-round draft pick by the Cleveland Indians, is one of those players who has not decided his fate. The starting second baseman for the Waves, Sever was named the 2012 WCC Player of the Year after batting .366 in 59 games played. He also hit six home runs and batted in 53 runs on the year.
He said he wants to wait until around the July 13 deadline to decide whether to sign with the Indians or not.
“I’m just trying to take my time and not make my decision based on emotion,” Sever said. “There are pros and cons to each side but any which way I can’t go wrong.”
Vincej, Pepperdine’s starting shortstop and 2012 WCC Defensive Player of the Year, meanwhile went in round 37 to the Reds, the same team that selected Moscot. He batted .339 on 59 starts on the year from the leadoff position.
Vincej said he has been having trouble deciding his fate.
“I’ve been going back and forth a lot, and I’m not sure what to do, but it’s a win-win situation for me,” Vincej said. “I could go back to school and finish my degree, but I also have a chance to play professional baseball, which has been my dream from day one.”
Perhaps the most notable part about the three Waves drafted is that none of them were selected out of high school. Head Coach Steve Rodriguez attributes their selections to the effort they put into the program.
“(Baseball) is a very hard game, and it is very important for kids to understand that this game is not easy and that they have to continue to work hard,” Rodriguez said. “These three individuals did just that.”
Two players with Pepperdine ties are currently facing the same decision as Vincej and Sever, although they’ve yet to suit up for the Waves: Pepperdine commitments 3B Trey Williams (Valencia, Calif.) and RHP Jackson McClelland (Redlands, Calif.). The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Williams, a top 100 draft prospect according to multiple scouting agencies, in the 11th round, while the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted McClelland, a 6-foot-5 power pitcher, in the 35th round.
As of Sunday evening, McClelland was leaning toward attending Pepperdine, while Williams had yet to make his decision. The two are a part of a six-man recruiting class that will join a defending-conference champion aimed for more success.
“We got a good group of kids to come in and produce for us, and it was a really good year this season,” Rodriguez said. “With our freshmen coming in next year, if everybody can stay healthy and we can catch a little bit of luck along the way, it should be fun.”
For those players who have not made their decision on whether they will come to or back to Pepperdine next season, playing at the school does have one advantage over the pros.
“Pepperdine is in Malibu,” Sever said. “You can’t beat that.”