Rebellion take 3 pitchers in first NPF draft
The Pennsylvania Rebellion entered Monday Night’s National Pro Fastpitch draft in search of quality pitching.
They feel they accomplished that mission.
The Rebellion selected Dallas Escobedo, a right-handed power pitcher who is a senior at Arizona State University, with the first pick in the draft.
Escobedo was one of six players drafted by the Rebellion, which begins play as the newest team in the league next month at Consol Energy Park in North Franklin. The Rebellion chose three pitchers, two catchers and an outfielder to bring the roster number to 18 out of a league maximum of 23.
“We’re extremely happy with the players we landed in the draft,” said Rebellion manager Rick Bertagnolli. “Pitching was always a priority from the start.”
Escobedo has a 14-5 record and 205 strikeouts in 129 2/3 innings this season, and has 1,061 strikeouts in 830 2/3 innings in her career.
“She has always brought poise to that position,” said Bertagnolli. “I watched her (Sunday) against Arizona (14 strikeouts in a 6-5 loss) and she did a remarkable job. At this level, you can’t (give up) many walks. She has pitched 120 innings and only has 20, 21 walks.”
As a freshman, Escobedo was 37-3 with 324 strikeouts in 255 innings and helped the Sun Devils win the College World Series title. She went 10-0 in the postseason and was named co-MVP in the series.
“She has a lot of heart,” said Rebellion owner Stu Williams in an interview at the draft headquarters in Nashville, Tenn. “She has a great family, her dad is a Marine, and we are excited to have her.”
The Rebellion chose two other pitchers – Bryana Walker of the University of Washington and Anna Miller from the University of South Carolina-Upstate – in Rounds 3 and 4, respectively.
Walker, a right-hander, was a 2013 All-Pac 12 first-team pick and had 205 strikeouts in 182 2/3 innings. She set a team record with 12 strikeouts in a game against Virginia in 2013.
Miller, a right-hander, currently is 11-2 with a 1.66 ERA and an Atlantic Sun Conference-leading 132 strikeouts and .136 opponents batting average. She has tossed two no-hitters, pitching them back-to-back at Gardner-Webb Feb. 19 and at home against Liberty Feb. 22.
“I’m so excited I don’t know what to do with myself,” Miller said on the Upstatespartans.com website. “I could not be more excited that I got drafted. … I can’t wait to get up to Pennsylvania and begin this journey.”
The Rebellion got a power-hitting catcher in the second round, Taylor Edwards, from Nebraska. Edwards set an NCAA record with two grand slams in a game. She once homered in six consecutive games.
The Rebellion had two picks in the fifth round and used them to select Nicole Morgan, a catcher-first baseman from Texas A&M, and Victoria Hayward, an outfielder who plays with Walker at Washington.
Morgan is hitting .315 with 16 home runs and 44 RBI and finished last season with a nearly identical .315 average, 14 home runs and 55 RBI.
Hayward was one of four Huskies to start every game last season and led the team in hitting (.378), runs (57), triples (6) and stolen bases (22).
“We got two big sticks at the end,” Bertagnolli said. “That solidifies our team.”