Jackson Hotchkiss of Battle Ground was drafted in the 18th round of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft on Tuesday, taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Hotchkiss, who graduated from Battle Ground High School last month, is a first baseman/outfielder and was a Columbian All-Region pick this past spring.
Hotchkiss batted .397 for the Tigers with three home runs, four doubles, three triples and 19 RBI. He signed with the University of Washington last fall.
Hotchkiss was selected with the 554th overall pick — the 29th pick of the 18th round — by the Diamondbacks. The MLB draft consists of 20 rounds.
Sam Dykstra of MLB.com had this to say about Hotchkiss: “Hotchkiss turned some heads with a solid performance in the Area Code Games last year, and he added even more physicality to his 6-foot-3 frame as a senior this spring. He could add even more raw power as he matures, and there’s hope that he transforms into a classic right fielder in time, though many thought enter the draft his best route was to head to Washington for college.”
The last Clark County high school player to be selected in the MLB first-player draft was Caden Vire of Skyview.
Vire was taken in the 12th round, 357th overall, by the Milwaukee Brewers. The left-handed pitcher passed on a chance to play college baseball at Arizona State and opted to sign with the Brewers for $497,500.
Vire is in his third season of rookie ball in the Brewers organization.
