NEW ORLEANS, La. – Tulane third baseman
Kody Hoese was selected with the 25
th pick in the first round of the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft Thursday night by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Hoese is the tenth Green Wave player in program history to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft, becoming the first since Shooter Hunt was picked 31
st overall by the Minnesota Twins in 2008. The other eight are Brian Bogusevic in 2005, Michael Aubrey in 2003, Jake Gautreau in 2001, Jason Fitzgerald in 1997, Joey Purcell in 1981, Frank Wills in 1980, William Fitzgerald in 1969 and John Olagues in 1966.
The Griffith, Indiana, native finished the 2019 season leading the Green Wave with a .391 batting average, producing 92 hits with 61 RBI and 72 runs scored. Hoese slugged .779 to go with a .486 on-base percentage as he started all 58 games for the team this season as he was named the 2019 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and to the All-American Athletic Conference first team.
Hoese's numbers this year has him littered throughout the program record book, as he now ranks fourth in slugging percentage, tied for second all-time in a single season with 23 home runs and fourth with 183 total bases. Within the conference the home runs, total bases, slugging percentage and 72 runs scored are all American Athletic Conference records.
In 28 games this year Hoese finished with multiple hits, including having 18 games with two hits, eight games with three hits and a game with four and five hits, respectively. 17 times, Hoese drove in multiple runs with 10 games driving in two, five games driving in three and a pair of games with four.
Hoese had the longest hitting streak on the team this year spanning 19 games, while reaching base safely in 35 consecutive games at one point.
He tied the single-game record for home runs with three against Lamar, while also becoming the first player since 2013 to have five hits in a game coming on the road at New Orleans. From the beginning of April until mid-May, Hoese hit above .400, with his highest mark reaching .417.
This year Hoese was named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy, being named the conference's player of the week twice, along with earning national hitter of the week honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Last week he was named a first team All-American by Collegiate Baseball.
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Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
