History was made last night when the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Milwaukee catcher Daulton Varsho with the No. 68 pick in the MLB pick. With the selection, Varsho became the highest Panther chosen in the history of the program.
Varsho watched the draft at home in Chili, Wis. with friends and families. He ended up being chosen in the Competitive Balance Round B, which followed up the second round. Competitive picks are given to teams with small payrolls and markets to garner an even playing field.
Varsho, whose dad Gary is a head scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates, discussed what this night meant for him.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Varsho. “I was brought up around the clubhouse and have always wanted to be a professional baseball player. And now I have that chance. I got a phone call telling me I was going to the Arizona Diamondbacks and my heart almost dropped.”
Panthers Head Coach Scott Doffek offered praise for his catcher.
“We are very happy for Daulton,” said Doffek. “He has worked his tail off to get this opportunity. He is the complete package — everything you look for in a student athlete. He is a great student, a great teammate, a great player, and most importantly, a great person.”
The highest picked Panther before Varsho was Josh Uhen, who was taken by the Brewers in the fifth round of the 2013 Draft. With Varsho’s selection, the Panthers have now had 10 players drafted since 2011.
“I have learned a lot,” said Varsho in regards to his time at Milwaukee. “The coaches have done so much for me. I can’t thank them enough and I can’t thank the program enough. I am very grateful to Scotty (Doffek) for taking a chance on me out of high school and wanting me to be a Panther.
Editor’s Note: Growing up playing baseball in central Wisconsin (Wisconsin Rapids against Daulton’s Marshfield Tigers), I had the privilege of going up against Daulton numerous times. Spoiler: He was very difficult to pitch to. My teammates and I; along with everybody else in the conference, knew that he was going to get drafted one day. Best of luck to Daulton as he continues to fulfill his dreams of making the Major Leagues!