Latrobe grad Zach Kokoska hopeful to hear name called during shortened MLB Draft - TribLIVE

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Zach Kokoska might be on a baseball field or camped out at a Marriott Hotel in South Florida on Wednesday and Thursday during the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Either way, the power-hitting outfielder will have his cell phone turned on.

The former Latrobe star and Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year has heard from about half of the teams in the league and could become a draft pick in a much tighter event.

In a money pinch because of the work stoppage caused by the coronavirus, the draft has been shortened to five rounds from the traditional 40.

More than 1,200 players were selected last year but only 160 will go this week — including supplemental picks.

A new rule will allow teams to sign an unlimited number of undrafted players for a maximum $20,000 bonus each.

Kokoska, who will begin play in the South Florida Collegiate League on June 13 — a Marriott will be his home for the duration of league play — hopes to be one of the select few taken and signed. He was not drafted coming out of Latrobe but has not lost sight of his dream to play professionally.

It’s clear his game has rounded into next-level form and his confidence has followed suit as he has reached draft-eligible status again.

“I have grinded and worked by (butt) off,” said Kokoska, a junior who plays at Kansas State. “I feel like I have done everything I’ve had to (do) to get drafted. I would love to have the opportunity to play for a major league team, but if it doesn’t happen, I am not going to lose sleep. I’ll keep working to get better and maybe get drafted next year. It will keep me motivated to get my shot.”

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Kokoska, who did not play a full season in 2020 because the NCAA canceled spring sports — we all know why by now — finished ranked as the No. 71 outfielder in the country by D1Baseball.com.

He started all 17 games in right field and hit .349 with a home run, five doubles, two triples and nine RBIs. Kokoska reached base in 16 straight games before the season was called.

“There are a lot of different mock drafts and things out there,” Kokoska said. “I have seen where I was among the top 60 D-1 hitters. You can’t control that stuff. Like my agent says, that stuff really doesn’t matter.”

A terrific prep player who led Latrobe to WPIAL and PIAA Class 5A titles in 2017, he hit .331 with eight homers, 31 RBIs and 37 runs last season at K-State.

He began his college career at Virginia Tech before transferring. He said he is glad to have played in college, rather than starting a pro journey straight out of high school with a degree of naivety.

“The biggest thing is the mental aspect,” he said. “I have learned so much. As a young player, you’re not always ready for everything that comes at you. It’s not always about the money.”

Down time during the coronavirus pandemic allowed Kokoska to come home, work out and take some swings. He also worked a landscaping job.

“We all get a redshirt so (going back to Kansas State) will be like redoing my junior year,” he said.

One thing Kokoska has over many of his counterparts on the draft board is that he played two positions. The hard-throwing lefty was a pitcher briefly as a sophomore in 2019. He started one game and pitched relief in the other — a perfect inning at San Diego State.

“I am just an outfielder now,” he said. “That was my best option. I want to be a hitter. It’s tough not knowing what’s coming up, pitching on and off. I am more specialized now.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bill by email at bbeckner@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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