Ragsdale Selected by Philadelphia in the Fourth Round of the 2020 MLB Draft

Carson Ragsdale became the ninth Bull to be picked within the first four rounds of the MLB Draft

TAMPA, JUNE 11, 2020 – USF redshirt junior pitcher Carson Ragsdale was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB Draft on Thursday evening.

Ragsdale (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) became the ninth Bull to be picked within the first four rounds of the MLB Draft and he’s the program’s 19th overall selection since 2015. USF has had at least one player taken in the MLB Draft in each of the past 21 seasons.

“I couldn’t be happier for Carson. He is the definition of what a student-athlete should aspire to be. He is an outstanding student, active member in SAAC, and one heck of a baseball player,” head coach Billy Mohl said. “Most importantly, Carson is a high character individual who makes everyone around him better. Myself, the coaching staff, and his teammates will all miss him greatly, and we will be following his career moving forward.”

After missing the 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery, Ragsdale kicked off the 2020 campaign with dominance before the season cut short because of COVID-19. The right-hander led USF’s starting rotation with a 2.84 ERA and the Bulls’ entire pitching staff with 37 strikeouts. The American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll member ranked second in the conference in strikeouts and batters struck out looking (11).

Ragsdale collected a career-high 10 strikeouts in standout performances against No.1 Florida and Marist in 2020. He allowed only one hit through six innings of work during his win against Marist and allowed only two hits at top-ranked Florida through four innings.

The spring 2020 graduate finished his USF career with 77 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.75 through 50.1 innings of work. During the 2018 season, he took part in the program’s first combined no-hitter at Army. In 2017, Ragsdale helped USF’s staff lead the nation with 10.1 punchouts per nine innings and set a school strikeout record with 620.

Ragsdale increased USF’s total to 127 MLB Draft picks since 1975. He became the first Bull taken in the top four rounds since Shane McClanahan was selected with the 31st overall pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018.

About USF Baseball

The University of South Florida baseball program is one of the fastest rising programs in the country. The Bulls earned their third NCAA Regional berth in the last four seasons and had six all-conference selections in 2018. Four players were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft, including the program’s fourth first rounder, pitcher Shane McClanahan. Third baseman David Villar was taken in the 11th round after being named first team all-conference and an All-American. The Bulls reached the NCAA Regionals in 2015 for the first time in 13 years and followed that success with a 42-19 record and second NCAA regional trip in three years in 2017. The Bulls continued the success in head coach Billy Mohl first season in 2018, reaching 36 wins and advancing to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time since 2012, while being ranked in multiple polls for the final two months of the season. The USF Baseball program has won five conference titles and the Bulls have made 13 NCAA appearances.

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