Youngstown State junior outfielder Frank Califano was selected in the 19th Round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon.
Califano was the seventh player taken in the 19th round and the 562nd player selected overall. He is the fifth Penguin to be drafted in the last six years, and he is the sixth player in program history to be taken in the first 20 rounds. The only YSU position players to go higher than the 19th round are Chris Durkin, a third-round pick in 1991, and Drew Dosch, a seventh-round selection in 2013.
"We are really excited for Frank and his family and not hte least bit surprised he was drafted by the White Sox," YSU head coach Steve Gillispie said. "Frank showed he was an elite college player from the beginning of the season and maintained a very high level of play through the conference tournament."
Califano came to Youngstown State prior to the 2015 season after spending two years at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Calif. The 5-foot-11 centerfielder and leadoff hitter was a First-Team All-Horizon League honoree in 2015 as he batted .362 with 19 stolen bases. He ranked second in the conference in both batting average and steals, and he was six points shy of winning the regular-season batting title. He hit safely in each of YSU's final 24 Horizon League contests, helping him post a league-best .383 batting average in conference play. He finished 2015 on a 19-game hitting streak.
Califano finished the season with 75 hits, which tied for the ninth-most for a year in school history.
Additionally, his 19 steals were the most by a Penguin since Kendall Schlabach and Kellen Dixon had 19 in 2001.
Califano batted .329 and stole 20 bases as a sophomore at Golden West College, an improvement upon the .292 mark he posted as a freshman. He was a four-year letterwinner and star pitcher at Steele Canyon High School near San Diego
