The 2024 MLB Draft came and went and after all 20 rounds were completed by Tuesday evening, one current member of the Newport Gulls and eight former Gulls were selected. Colby Holcombe (Mississippi State), a member of this year’s roster, received word that he was selected in the 9th round by the Toronto Blue Jays while Game 1 of Monday’s doubleheader against North Shore was taking place at Cardines Field. In addition to Holcombe being selected, the eight former Gulls picked in this year’s MLB Draft included Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (Athletics), Dakota Jordan (Giants), Ryan Andrade (Rays), Anthony Donofrio (Mariners), Seamus Barrett (Dodgers), Sam Kulasingam (Royals), Cam Clayton (Marlins) and Logan McGuire (Guardians).
The first former Gull taken off the board was Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (Rutgers), who was selected by the Oakland Athletics with the 75th pick in the third round early Monday. Kuroda-Grauer spent 2022 in Newport and delivered at the plate throughout the summer for the Gulls. An everyday starter, the infielder played 45 games for the Gulls, tied for the most games played that season among all players on the roster. Kuroda-Grauer ranked seventh in the NECBL with a .331 batting average for Newport. He tallied 56 hits, 12 doubles, four home runs, 31 RBIs and was named to the All-NECBL Second Team. The New Jersey native was a junior this past spring at Rutgers where his .428 batting average was the second best in the entire country. Starting all 53 games at shortstop, he led the country with 1.79 hits per game and was named Big Ten Player of the Year in addition to being selected as a First Team All-America member by Perfect Game.
The next Gull selected was Dakota Jordan (Mississippi State) in the next round, who was chosen by the San Francisco Giants with the 116th pick. Jordan was a member of last year’s championship winning team. While the outfielder departed Newport before last season’s playoff run, he made the most of his time with the Gulls. In 11 games played last summer, Jordan tallied 11 hits and batted .379. He was a sophomore this past spring at Mississippi State and starred for the Bulldogs. The Mississippi native started all 63 games and led the team in batting average (.354), hits (85), doubles (14), home runs (20) and RBIs (72). His efforts earned him plenty of accolades including being a Second Team NCBWA All-American Selection, Ferriss Trophy Winner, Second Team All-SEC Team Selection, a Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalist and Golden Spikes Semifinalist.
The next Gull picked was local product Ryan Andrade (Pittsburgh). The former Middletown High School standout was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 216th pick in the 7th round. Andrade was also a part of last year’s title-winning squad in Newport. The right-handed pitcher made nine regular season appearances last summer for the Gulls, including four starts and posted a 2.88 ERA with 32 strikeouts over 25 innings of work. Andrade then played a key role in Newport’s playoff run, making three appearances out of the bullpen and notching 12 strikeouts across seven innings. He was named to the All-NECBL First Team following an impressive summer with the Gulls. After spending his first two seasons of college ball at Rhode Island, Andrade pitched at Pittsburgh this past spring in his junior campaign. Andrade was Pitt’s Friday night starter throughout his first season with the program and started 15 games. He led the team with 72 strikeouts in 63 total innings pitched for the Panthers and earned notable ACC wins over 8th-ranked Florida State and Notre Dame.
The fourth Gull of the day selected was Colby Holcombe (Mississippi State), a current member of this year’s roster. The 6-7 right-handed pitcher was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 277th pick in the 9th round. Holcombe found out the news in the middle of Newport’s game against North Shore at Cardines Field on Monday. Shortly after receiving the great news in the bullpen area, many of Holcombe’s teammates mobbed him mid-game to celebrate his special moment. The Alabama native had been dominating all summer long on the mound for the Gulls. Newport’s go-to closer throughout June and early July, Holcombe made nine appearances out of the bullpen and one start for the Gulls. In 16 ⅔ innings of work, he only walked five batters while recording 32 strikeouts and tallied four saves. One of Holcombe’s most impressive showings out of the bullpen came in an 11-inning win at Ocean State when he came in for the final four frames and struck out 11 of the 22 batters he faced. Just a day before being drafted by the Blue Jays, he was named a 2024 NECBL All-Star. The righty worked his way up the ranks over the course of his collegiate career. Holcombe started out playing JUCO ball at Northeast Mississippi Community College where he was named an NJCAA First Team All-American and set the program record for the most strikeouts in a single season with 115. After that, he transferred to Mississippi State where he has spent the last two years. In his junior campaign this past spring, Holcombe appeared in 12 games, making one start and racked up 28 strikeouts in 21 ⅔ total innings for the Bulldogs.
The last couple of Gulls taken off the board were both taken in the 10th round just seven picks apart. First up was Anthony Donofrio (North Carolina), who was selected by the Seattle Mariners with the 303rd pick. Donofrio joined Jordan and Andrade as members of last year’s Gulls team to be taken in the 2024 Draft. The outfielder left Newport before the postseason began but in the time he was with the Gulls, he was the team’s best hitter. In 17 games played, Donofrio led the team with a .418 batting average, going 23-for-55 at the plate with six doubles, a triple and a home run. Donofrio had a unique collegiate journey before ultimately turning his dreams into a reality on Monday. The Long Island native started off at Division 3 SUNY Cortland in 2019 and 2020. He then attended Stony Brook but didn’t play. After that, Donofrio transferred to Quinnipiac where he spent 2022 and 2023. Then, he went to North Carolina for a grad year where he played an important role in the Tar Heels run to the College World Series this past spring. Donofrio played in 61 games for UNC, making 58 starts. His batting average of .326 was the third-highest on the team while his .435 on-base percentage was the highest on the Tar Heels. He also led the ACC with six triples and had a team-best 19 doubles. His 19 stolen bases and 45 walks were the second-most on the team. Donofrio was named to the ACC All-Tournament Team and collected four hits against LIU in the NCAA Regionals opener.
Just seven picks after Donofrio was taken, another former Gull in Seamus Barrett (Loyola Marymount) was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 310th pick. Barrett played for Newport in 2021 and 2022. The right-handed pitcher made two appearances and one start for the Gulls in 2021, striking out 13 batters in 6 ⅔ innings. Barrett returned the following summer and made eight appearances and one start in 2022, tallying 31 strikeouts in 18 ⅔ innings of work. The Massachusetts native also spent last summer in the NECBL, playing for the Sanford Mainers. After starting his collegiate career with Louisville where he spent his first two seasons, Barrett transferred to Loyola Marymount where he pitched the last two year’s. This past spring as a senior, the righty made 25 appearances with seven starts and recorded 58 strikeouts in 43 ⅓ innings.
After six Gulls were selected on Monday, three more were taken on Tuesday in the final 10 rounds. The first former Gull drafted on Tuesday was Sam Kulasingam (Air Force), who was selected by the Kansas City Royals with the 377th pick in the 13th round. Kulasingam played for Newport in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, the infielder played 21 games for the Gulls and batted .281 with a couple of home runs and 11 RBIs. Last summer in his second season with the Gulls, Kulasingam made even more of an impact. While he had to leave before the playoffs, he played 19 games in the regular season and batted .383, only behind the aforementioned Anthony Donofrio. The North Carolina native accumulated 23 hits with two home runs and 15 RBIs. Kulasingam spent all four years collegiately playing for Air Force where he was an everyday starter the last three seasons. He batted an incredible .411 in his sophomore season and .426 in his junior campaign, earning the Mountain West Player of the Year honor both years. Kulasingam once again played an important role for the Falcons this past spring as a senior, batting .323 with 74 hits, 16 doubles, three triples, six home runs and 36 RBIs.
The next Gull selected was picked in the next round. Cam Clayton (Washington) was chosen by the Miami Marlins with the 424th pick in the 14th round. Clayton played for Newport in 2022 and appeared in 15 games. The shortstop was a junior this past spring at Washington and enjoyed a successful season. Clayton started all 51 games for the Huskies and was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. The Oregon native committed just four errors for a .980 fielding percentage and helped turn 24 double plays. At the plate, Clayton batted .270 with 18 extra base hits, including seven home runs. He tallied 29 RBIs and scored 42 runs, second most on the team. He also drew 30 walks and six HBPs for a .378 on-base percentage. Clayton played eight games for the Frederick Keys in the MLB Draft League this summer before being selected by the Marlins on Tuesday.
The ninth and final Gull to be selected in the 2024 MLB Draft was Logan McGuire (Georgia Tech), who was taken by the Cleveland Guardians with the 505th pick in the 17th round. McGuire played for the Gulls in 2022 and was one of Newport’s best pitchers that summer. Making nine appearances and five starts for Newport in the regular season, the righty had an impressive 1.86 ERA in 29 innings and tallied 44 strikeouts, tied for the most on the Gulls. McGuire went 5-1 and recorded a save in one of his four relief appearances. His longest start of the summer was in a game against Mystic in which he went seven scoreless innings. The Georgia native held opponents to a .189 batting average and appeared in Newport’s lone playoff game in 2022. He was named to the All-NECBL Second Team following a dominant summer on the mound. McGuire was a junior this past spring at Georgia Tech where he made eight starts and 12 appearances. After missing most of his sophomore season due to injury, he pitched 32 ⅓ innings this year, tallying 34 strikeouts.
As is usually the case every summer, several Gulls were selected in this year’s MLB Draft as a number of players who have spent time in Newport take a major step in turning their dreams into a reality. Seeing current and former Gulls selected serves as a great reminder of how many talented players have played at Cardines Field for Newport over the years.
