Rudy Rott didn’t know where he would go next when his Ohio career ended in the Mid-American Conference Tournament last month.
On Tuesday, the former Bobcats first baseman received an answer: Philadelphia.
Rott was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth round of the MLB Draft and became the first Ohio player to be drafted since Mitch Longo was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 14th round in 2016.
The Holmen, Wisconsin, native is the Ohio hit king with 293 career hits and earned MAC Player of the Years honors his last two years with the Bobcats. Rott finished his college career with a .339 batting average and 39 home runs and helped bring a MAC title to Ohio in 2016.
Without Rott, the Bobcats likely would have missed the MAC Tournament for a second-straight year in 2019. Rott led Ohio with a .382 batting average and slugged 10 home runs and 47 RBI.
Rott is perhaps the best player Ohio has had under coach Rob Smith, who has been with the Bobcats for seven seasons.
“He’s the best player in our league,“ Smith said. “He should be playing professional baseball in his career. He’s one of the best hitters to ever play here at Ohio, and I wish I had him five more years.”
Upon agreeing to a contract with the Phillies, Rott will join Longo, Tom Colletti and Logan Cozart as former Bobcats currently signed with a team in the MLB.
A previous version of this report incorrectly stated the number of former Ohio University students signed with a team in the MLB. The article has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.
