Two former local prep baseball talents who completed their collegiate careers at reputable Texas universities are now on their way into the Major League Baseball pipeline after being drafted over the past two days.
Former Monarch pitcher Andrew Morris and former Niwot infielder Skye Messinger were selected by the Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies, respectively — giving each the chance to continue pursuing a dream most recently achieved at the local level by Legacy grad Lucas Gilbreath.
Morris pitched for Colorado Mesa at the Division II level until this past season, as he transfered to Texas Tech. The right-hander finished with an 8-2 record and 91 strikeouts in 88 innings of work during his junior season, helping the Red Raiders to a 39-22 mark and an NCAA regional appearance.
The Twins drafted him in the fourth round on Monday, the 114th overall selection.
Messinger transfered to Texas where he helped the Longhorns to the College World Series, batting .364 in 65 games with 11 home runs and 59 RBI. A former Kansas Jayhawk, Messinger hit a memorable grand slam against KU on May 21 that was one of highlights of his season.
Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 22nd round out of high school, Messinger went to the Rockies in the 19th round Tuesday.
