USC LHP Tyler Gilbert and senior C Garrett Stubbs were the first two Trojans to hear their names called in the 2015 MLB Draft on Tuesday. Gilbert, the junior, went first in the sixth round to the Philadelphia Phillies followed by Stubbs in the eighth round to the Houston Astros.
Gilbert finished his junior campaign with impressive numbers both as a starter and a relief pitcher. USC relied on the lefty mostly as a reliever as he only started six games, but he appeared in 22, finishing the historic 2015 season with a 5-2 record. His 2.79 ERA was second only to reliever/closer Marc Huberman, and his 66 strikeouts were also second-best. The junior transfer from Santa Barbara Community College made an impact in his only year at USC with a huge save against rival UCLA at Dodger Stadium. He also secured the comeback victory over San Diego State that advanced USC to the Regional Finals with a one-hit performance in 2.1 innings of work, striking out the first batter he faced with the bases loaded and two outs.
Stubbs left a lasting impression as well with four dedicated years of hard work that turned USC baseball into a top 25 team. The Johnny Bench Award finalist led the team to its first NCAA Regional appearance since 2005 and its best overall record since 2001. The Pac-12 declared Stubbs the Defensive Player of the Year after he threw out 52.8 percent of runners attempting to steal, and the conference also named him to the All-Pac-12 First Team. The awards didn't stop there as the captain earned Lake Elsinore Regional MVP honors after catching all 38 innings over four games and hitting .563 with two doubles and three RBIs. The senior finished his final season as a Trojan with a batting average of .346, which is second only to junior OF Bobby Stahel.
The MLB draft enters its final day on Wednesday beginning with round 11 of 40 at 9:00 a.m. PT. Be sure to tune in via the MLB Draft Tracker or follow USC baseball on Twitter for live updates on which Trojans will go from USC to the MLB.
