Aptos High School alumnus Luke Keithshall will become an impact player for the University of San Francisco baseball team in 2021 as a freshman. He transferred to Arizona State University last year and was selected to the All-American second team. (Chris M. Leon – USF Athletics)
WATSONVILLE — Arizona State second baseman Luke Keeshall knew he was getting some attention ahead of the 2023 MLB first-year draft. He has performed brilliantly in his two programs in the NCAA Division I, the Cape Cod League, and his MLB Combine in Arizona, making interviews with 23 of his teams.
Still, the Aptos High School graduate had no idea who or when he would be drafted in the 20-round draft for three days.
The Minnesota Twins knew they had a strong interest in Keyshall. Not wanting to lose him to another organization, the Twins drafted him in the second round on Sunday night with the 49th overall pick, 41 places higher than the draft. The recommended slot money for his selection he is $1.74 million.
Keyshall said he plans to give up his senior season at Arizona State and sign a professional contract.
“I feel so good,” Keeshal said. “I am very excited and grateful. I feel blessed. …I just heard that a team wants to bet on me. I can’t explain how it made me feel.”
It didn’t bring Keeshall to tears, but most of the people at his family’s house were his father Karl and mother Jody, his brother Jake, his grandparents Fred and Caroline Krinkie, his cousin Tyler Krinkie, and his girlfriend. Madeline Matlock got emotional.
Keyshall (6ft 1, 190lbs) has been Santa Cruz County’s highest draft pick since 1998, when University of Miami first baseman Pat Burrell of Boulder Creek was drafted first overall by the Philadelphia Phillies. became.
Since 1998, 44 other county players have been drafted, 10 of which have made it to the majors.
Keyshall is impressed with Minnesota in many ways. The Twins’ player development is “amazing,” he said. He likes that they are a competitive franchise and are currently No. 2 in the AL Central. “And they like to produce homegrown talent. They like to take draft picks to the big leagues and that’s great,” he said.
Keyshall said he envisioned becoming a professional player in high school. Admittedly, he wasn’t ready to move to the next level when he graduated in 2020. He was a first-team infielder for the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League as a junior, but was robbed of his senior season by the COVID-19 pandemic.
After high school, he attended the University of San Francisco and quickly made his mark at the Dons. He was named the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year along with BYU infielder Andrew Pinter and was named to the entire conference first team. He also earned repeat first-team honors during his sophomore year.
According to ESPN, Dons baseball coach Nino Giaratano was fired in March 2022 after being accused of “persistent emotional abuse and repeated inappropriate sexual conduct” in a class action lawsuit. Assistant coach Troy Nakamura was also named in the lawsuit and was fired earlier this year.
Keyshal remains a staunch Giaratano supporter and transferred after his sophomore season. He joined Arizona State University, playing under 14-year MLB veteran Willie Bloomquist.
“It was really hard to lose Coach G,” Keeshal said. “We all know how I feel about him. made the most of.”
Keyshal set up some amazing stats during his junior years. 353 batting average with 18 home runs, 25 doubles and 58 RBIs. He was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference Team and was selected to the All-American Second Team by College Baseball News.
Keith Shall was also a standout wrestler in high school, but after graduating, he grew two inches taller and gained 25 pounds more muscle. He said he grew in every aspect of the game, both physically and mentally.
“I think my biggest strength is the way I think and the way I approach each match mentally,” he said. “And my aggressive style of play helps me compete at the highest level.”
