Oklahoma State University Athletics
Christian Encarnacion-Strand
Cowboy Baseball’s Encarnacion-Strand Selected On Day Two Of MLB Draft
July 12, 2021 | Cowboy Baseball
DENVER – Oklahoma State third baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand was a fourth-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft on Monday.
An All-American for the Cowboys in his first season in Stillwater in 2021, Encarnacion-Strand was selected with the 128th overall pick. He is the 47th OSU player selected in the MLB Draft in nine years under head coach Josh Holliday and the 15th chosen in the top 10 rounds. The slugger is also the fourth highest draft pick of the Holliday coaching era behind Jason Hursh (2013, 1st round, 31st overall), Kaden Polcovich (2020, 3rd round, 78th overall) and Thomas Hatch (2016, 3rd round, 104th overall).
Encarnacion-Strand led OSU in all three Triple Crown categories last season as he posted a .361 batting average to go along with 15 home runs and 66 RBIs. He also led the Cowboys with 82 hits, 17 doubles, 150 total bases and a .661 slugging percentage.
A native of Pleasant Hill, Calif., Encarnacion-Strand ranked sixth nationally in RBIs in 2021 and was 10th in the NCAA in total bases.
Encarnacion-Strand, who joined the Cowboys after two standout seasons at Yavapai College, collected numerous honors and awards in 2021. He became the 26th player in OSU history to earn first-team All-America status, and he was the Big 12 Conference Newcomer of Year while also earning NCBWA District 6 Player of the Year accolades.
The 2021 Major League Baseball Draft concludes with rounds 11-20 on Tuesday.
An All-American for the Cowboys in his first season in Stillwater in 2021, Encarnacion-Strand was selected with the 128th overall pick. He is the 47th OSU player selected in the MLB Draft in nine years under head coach Josh Holliday and the 15th chosen in the top 10 rounds. The slugger is also the fourth highest draft pick of the Holliday coaching era behind Jason Hursh (2013, 1st round, 31st overall), Kaden Polcovich (2020, 3rd round, 78th overall) and Thomas Hatch (2016, 3rd round, 104th overall).
Encarnacion-Strand led OSU in all three Triple Crown categories last season as he posted a .361 batting average to go along with 15 home runs and 66 RBIs. He also led the Cowboys with 82 hits, 17 doubles, 150 total bases and a .661 slugging percentage.
A native of Pleasant Hill, Calif., Encarnacion-Strand ranked sixth nationally in RBIs in 2021 and was 10th in the NCAA in total bases.
Encarnacion-Strand, who joined the Cowboys after two standout seasons at Yavapai College, collected numerous honors and awards in 2021. He became the 26th player in OSU history to earn first-team All-America status, and he was the Big 12 Conference Newcomer of Year while also earning NCBWA District 6 Player of the Year accolades.
The 2021 Major League Baseball Draft concludes with rounds 11-20 on Tuesday.
Players Mentioned
3B
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