Waterloo, Iowa – Five former Waterloo Bucks were drafted during the 2023 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft.  Nolan Santos, Tate Kuehner, Johnny Tincher, Ernie Day, and A.J. Shaver 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 2023 MLB Draft was pitcher Nolan Santos.  Santos was taken in the 7^th round with the 207^th pick by the Minnesota Twins.  A product of Bethune-Cookman University, Santos played for the Bucks in 2021 where the right-handed pitcher posted a 2-0 record and a 1.80 ERA to go along with three saves.  Originally from Miami Beach, Florida, Santos appeared in eight games and struck out 18 for Waterloo.

With the 212^th overall pick (7^th round), the Milwaukee Brewers selected left-handed pitcher Tate Kuehner who played with the Bucks in 2020.  A product of the University of Louisville, Kuehner appeared in five games for Waterloo, finishing the season with a 0-2 record and a 9.00 ERA.  Originally from Marshalltown, Iowa, Kuehner struck out seven batters in 11 innings for the Bucks’ 2020 Minnesota-Iowa Region Champion squad.

Former Waterloo catcher Johnny Tincher, a University of Washington product, was taken in the 11^th round with the 338^th pick by the Cleveland Guardians.  Tincher played in 21 games for the Bucks in 2021, finishing with a .286 average to go along with eight RBI.  Originally from Sylmar, California, Tincher earned All-Pac 12 honors this past season at Washington.

Ernie Day was taken in the 14^th round with the 427^th pick by the Seattle Mariners.  A product of Campbell University, Day pitched for the Bucks in 2022 where the righty appeared in eight games.  Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Day finished his season in Waterloo with a 1-1 record, a 3.06 ERA, and 20 strikeouts in 17.2 innings.

With the 523^rd overall pick (17^th round), the Philadelphia Phillies selected outfielder A.J. Shaver who played with the Bucks in 2022.  A product of Florida SouthWestern State College, Shaver hit .333 in 13 plate appearance while in Waterloo.  A native of Clermont, Florida, Shaver played in four games for the Bucks before leaving due to injury.

The Bucks start a three-day, four-game homestand versus the Thunder Bay Border Cats tonight at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo.  Tickets are currently available by calling the Bucks Ticket Line at (319) 232-5633 or online:  https://waterloo-bucks.nwltickets.com/SingleGame/Tickets.

# # #

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. Now in its’ 30^th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 24 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 325 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 (NYM), 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 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. 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.