Tulane's Cannizaro selected by Angels in draft

NEW ORLEANS – No stranger to the draft process, Tulane baseball senior Garrett Cannizaro was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 18th round (547th overall) during the final day of the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Saturday.

Cannizaro is the third Greenie to be drafted so far, as the Washington Nationals tabbed fellow seniors David Napoli and Brennan Middleton in the eighth and 10th rounds, respectively, on Friday.

A native of Mandeville, La., Cannizaro – like Middleton – was a four-year starter for the Greenies, as he manned the shortstop and third base positions during his tenure on the Uptown campus. He started 221 of the 222 games he played in, batting .283 with 125 runs scored, 233 hits, 41 doubles, five triples, 11 home runs, 134 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.

“Garrett Cannizaro and his family are family to me,” said Tulane head baseball coach Rick Jones. “I’ve filled out a lineup card with the Cannizaro name during eight years of my tenure at Tulane, and I couldn’t be more excited for he and his family for this opportunity.”

A 2010 Conference USA All-Freshman team member, Cannizaro batted .322 while making 54 starts at shortstop during his first year at Tulane. A Preseason Conference USA selection in both 2011 and 2013, the senior is fifth in school history in starts with 221. He also ranks sixth in school history with 544 defensive assists, and is tied for eighth with 19 sacrifice hits.

During his senior campaign, Cannizaro batted .263 with 14 doubles, three home runs and 33 RBIs. He tied for first on the team in home runs, and was third on the team in RBIs. His batting average was good for fourth on the squad, and his 14 doubles placed third amongst his teammates. His versatility in the field was crucial for the Green Wave this season, as he recorded starts at second base, shortstop, third base and in right field during his senior campaign.

Cannizaro should be used to the draft process by now, as this is the third time he has heard his name called during his career. After lettering for four years at Mandeville High School, he was chosen by the Angels in the 26th round (801st overall) in 2009. Last year, he was one of two Greenies drafted, as he was selected by the New York Yankees in the 32nd round (997th overall). Fortunately for the Green Wave, Cannizaro chose to extend his collegiate career as long as possible, going down as one of the finest players to ever don a Green Wave uniform.

Cannizaro is the second Tulane player from his family to be drafted into the majors. His older brother, Andy, was a standout player during the late 1990s and early 2000s for the Greenies, and he was selected by the New York Yankees in the seventh round (215th overall) during the 2001 draft. Andy played in 13 games for the Yankees during the 2006 season, as well as seeing time in a single game for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008.

With the selection of Cannizaro, the Angels have now chosen four Tulane players in their history. In 2005, the franchise selected catcher Greg Dini in the 12th round. Nearly two decades before that, the team chose catcher Rick Parker in the ninth round of the 1989 draft. They selected their first Greenie in 1983 when they chose right-handed pitcher Brian Migliore in the eighth round of the 1983 draft.

With Middleton, Napoli and Cannizaro being selected in the draft this season, it marks the first time Tulane has had more than two players drafted in a single year since 2009, when they had five total selections.

The selection of Cannizaro in the 18th round marks the second consecutive year a Greenie has gone in that round, as catcher Jeremy Schaffer was chosen by the St. Louis Cardinals in that round just last year. They are the only two Tulane players to ever have been selected in the 18th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Cannizaro was signed as a shortstop out of high school, but moved to third base in order to allow Middleton to man the spot. With Cannizaro’s selection in the draft – as well as Middleton’s selection yesterday – every starting shortstop that has signed with Tulane under Jones has been drafted. Josh Prince was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2009 – making his major league debut earlier this season - and Cat Everett (Houston Astros, 2007), Tommy Manzella (Houston Astros, 2005), Andy Cannizaro (Yankees, 2001) and Michael Johns (Colorado Rockies, 1997) were also shortstops during Jones’ tenure to have been selected in the draft.