FGCU has four players selected in MLB Amateur Draft Sunday
Florida Gulf Coast University continued to be a common name in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft Sunday. Wrapping up the 2026 MLB Amateur Draft, FGCU finished with five total draft picks, behind only the seven selections from Florida and Florida State among the Sunshine State’s programs.
FGCU had four players selected in the draft on the final day of the event alone, more than the three picks other Atlantic Sun Conference programs had throughout the entire draft combined.
Hunter Possehl (Kansas City Royals), Chris Diaz (Seattle Mariners), Ashton Pocol (Chicago Cubs) and Javier Gorostola (Athletics) all heard their names called during the annual draft Sunday. The events on Sunday give FGCU 44 players who have been picked in the MLB Amateur Draft in the program’s 24-year history.
That brought the total number of players in the Green & Blue selected in the draft up to five, the second-most in school history. Only the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft – which featured seven FGCU players drafted – had more Eagles picked. FGCU had three players selected in the draft before another ASUN program heard its name called.
Evan Dempsey was the first FGCU player taken in the draft, selected by the Detroit Tigers Saturday with the overall No. 69 pick. The two-time All-American became the second highest draft pick in Eagles’ history behind pitcher Chris Sale, who was the 13th pick in the 2010 MLB Amateur draft.
Possehl, an All-ASUN Second Team selection, was chosen by the Kansas City Royals in the eighth round with the No. 239 pick overall. The Royals picked up the southpaw using their ninth pick of the draft.
The Mariners used their 14th selection of the draft to pick up another second team All-ASUN honoree in Chris Diaz. Selected in the 14th round with the 430th pick overall, Diaz was just the sixth pitcher selected by Seattle in the draft.
In the 16th round, the Chicago Cubs used the 487th overall pick to select Pocol, a third team All-ASUN relief pitcher.
Rounding out the quartet of Eagles selected on Sunday, Javier Gorostola was chosen by the Athletics. An All-ASUN first team selection that matched the sixth-longest hitting streak in NCAA Division I history, the third baseman was chosen in the 17th round with the No. 501 pick overall.