This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah pitcher Andre Jackson led a contingent of players with local ties selected on the third day of the Major League Baseball draft on Thursday. The Los Angeles Dodgers picked Jackson, 21, in the 12th round with the 370th overall pick.
Jackson, a resident of Tucson, Ariz., sat out this past season as a redshirt after having Tommy John surgery in the offseason. He played in 78 games combined between 2016 and 2017, and he played outfield as well as pitcher (12 appearances as a pitcher, 11 in 2016).
The Dodgers also picked Utes pitcher and former American Fork High School standout Riley Ottesen in the fifth round on Wednesday. The MLB draft concluded on Wednesday with rounds 11-40. Jackson was one of four Utes players drafted along with Jayson Rose, Taylorsville resident Dallas Carroll and Ottesen.
The Milwaukee Brewers selected Dixie State right-handed pitcher and St. George resident Dylan File (21st round, 624th pick). The New York Mets selected West Texas A&M right-handed pitcher and West Haven resident Joshua Payne (22nd round, 667th pick). The Cleveland Indians selected College of Idaho left-handed pitcher and Salt Lake City resident Zack Draper (30th round, 912th pick).
BYU produced a pair of third-day draft picks in right-handed pitcher Maverick Buffo, a Salem resident, and third baseman Colton Shaver, a Riverton resident. Both Buffo and Shaver recently completed their junior season. The Toronto Blue Jays picked Buffo in the 34th round (1,029th pick) and the Houston Astros picked Shaver in the 39th round (1,171st pick).