National Champs Have Five Players Selected in MLB Draft
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa baseball team has produced five selections in the 2015 Major
League Baseball (MLB) Draft. This marks the 13th consecutive season that UT has had a player
selected in the MLB Draft.
Giovanny Alfonzo became the first Spartan taken off the board, going to the Miami Marlins in the 21st round. Dylan Barrow was then grabbed by the Chicago White Sox in the 23rd round, as Stephen Dezzi was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 25th round. The Los Angeles Angels then chose Nick Flair in the 34th round as the Philadelphia Phillies grabbed Andrew Amaro with their 35th round selection.
Tampa has now produced at least three selections dating back to 2006, a span of 10 years. The program
now has a total of 76 players selected in the MLB Draft from a total of 28 different major league
organizations.
Alfonzo, a senior shortstop from Port St. Lucie, Fla., was a two-year starter at shortstop for the
Spartans after playing his first two seasons at Florida State University. In 2015, he hit .344 in 52
games and connected on 10 home runs with 48 RBI. He also turned in a team-high 18 doubles and hit a
grand slam in an exhibition victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
An All-American in 2015, Alfonzo was also an All-South Region and All-Sunshine State Conference
selection. He finished strong in UT's national championship run as he was named to both the NCAA
South Regional and Championships all-tournament teams.
Barrow, a junior pitcher from Brandon, Fla., was selected for the second straight season after going
to the New York Yankees in the 25th round last year. The hard-throwing right-hander who still has a
year of eligibility remaining was 6-2 with a 3.70 ERA in 2015. In 58.1 innings pitched, he struck
out 56 and registered a team-leading five saves.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that the Chicago White Sox have chosen a Spartan. The
Southsiders also chose Eric Grabe (2012), Matt Abramson (2013) and Michael Danner (2014).
Dezzi, a senior outfielder from Sarasota, Fla., was a four-year letterwinner and a two-time national
champion at UT. He hit .340 as a senior and led all Spartans with 14 home runs. He also drove in 50
runs with a team-high .476 on-base percentage. He played in 145 career games as a Spartan, hitting
.330 with 22 home runs and 108 RBI.
A two-time All-American as both a junior and senior, Dezzi was also an All-South Region and All-
Sunshine State Conference selection. He concluded his career as a member of the 2015 NCAA
Championships all-tournament team.
Flair, a junior third baseman from Belle Chasse, La., concluded his first season as a Spartan after playing his sophomore season at Gulf Coast State College and freshman campaign at Mississippi State University. In 52 games, he hit .333 with nine home runs and a team-high 59 RBI.
Amaro, a senior infielder from Bensalem, Pa, played one season at UT after transferring from the University of Maryland. He hit .320 while playing in 44 games at a number of positions including the first base, second base and the outfield. The two-time Sunshine State Conference Offensive Player of the Week had three home runs and 25 RBI while stealing a team-high 19 bags.
For complete information on UT Baseball, please visit TampaSpartans.com.