LAKELAND, Fla.—Southeastern University junior
Chris Mattison was selected in the 16
th Round of the 2016 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft by the San Diego Padres.
Mattison becomes the highest drafted player in Fire baseball history, and is the third player taken in the last four years.
"I was a nervous wreck waiting for my name to be called," said Mattison of draft weekend. "It got to the point where I couldn't watch it anymore, so I was in my room playing PlayStation when it happened. It's a very exciting day for us."
During his lone season at SEU, Mattison was named First Team All-Sun Conference, hitting .398 with 19 doubles and 15 home runs. He earned a Gold Glove from the conference at first base, registering a .991 fielding percentage.
The Padres selected Mattison as a catcher. He also saw time on the mound as well as first base for the Fire.
"It was an awesome experience," said Mattison of his time at Southeastern. "My coaches pushed me and this never would have happened without them."
