Waterloo, Iowa – Three former Waterloo Bucks were drafted during the 2021 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft. Christian McGowan, Bennett Hostetler, and Drew Irvine all heard their names called during the three-day draft which began on Sunday of this week.
The first former Waterloo player selected in the 2021 MLB Draft was pitcher Christian McGowan
. McGowan was taken in the 7th round with the 205th overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies. A product of Eastern Oklahoma State Junior College, McGowan played for the Bucks in 2020 where the righty posted a 2-1 record, a 2.93 ERA, and 16 strikeouts with one save.
With the 539th overall pick (18th round), the Miami Marlins selected shortstop Bennett Hostetler
, who played with the Bucks in 2019. A product of North Dakota State University, Hostetler finished his only season in Waterloo with a .287 average with three home runs, 20 RBI, and five stolen bases.
Former Waterloo right-handed pitcher Drew Irvine,
a University of Iowa product, was taken in the 19th round with the 553rd pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Irvine appeared in seven games for the Bucks in 2019, finishing with a 0-3 record and 17 strikeouts with a 4.65 ERA.
Single-game tickets are currently on sale by calling the Bucks’ Ticket Line at (319) 232-5633 or available online at www.waterloobucks.com. Cost Cutters Field at Riverfront Stadium welcomed a new state of the art video board in 2016 thanks to a matching grant from the Black Hawk County Gaming Association. Team ownership has invested nearly $400,000 in stadium improvements since the end of the 2014 season including group outing areas, painted bleachers, public Wi-Fi, sound system, kids zone inflatables, wiffle ball field, and concessions equipment. Fans are encouraged to stay in touch with the Bucks by utilizing their website at www.waterloobucks.com or utilizing the Northwoods League Mobile App.
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The Waterloo Bucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 27th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 250 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB Gold Glove finalist and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.waterloobucks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Bucks as your favorite team.