Miami Dade College Duo Selected In 2023 Major League Baseball Draft
Wooyeoul Shin’s dream to play Major League Baseball was born in 2008 when he watched his countrymen from South Korea win a gold medal at the Olympics in Beijing.
Fifteen years later, the Miami Dade College athlete inched closer to his dream when he was one of two Sharks selected in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft on Tuesday.
The three-day, 20-round draft started on Sunday.
Shin, 21, was selected in the 16th round by the Tampa Bay Rays. Herick Hernandez was picked in the 19th round by the Cincinnati Reds.
“It’s amazing we can be a part of their journey,” said MDC Head Baseball Coach Adrian Morales. “We’re just very proud and happy they are both able to live out their dreams.”
Shin, who played first base and right field at MDC, put up monstrous offensive numbers this season. He blasted 15 home runs, had 47 RBI and boasted a .407 batting average and .772 slugging percentage, all tops on the team.
At the end of the season, Shin, who played three seasons at MDC because he was granted an extra year due to COVID, was offered a scholarship to the University of Miami.
In the 2021-22 season, Shin was tied with the team lead in home runs with nine while having a .551 slugging percentage and a .316 batting average despite missing 18 games that season after suffering a wrist injury.
In his first season at MDC, Shin had four home runs, 34 RBI and a .284 batting average in 34 games.
“I had the confidence to get drafted but you never know,” Shin said. “Now that it’s official I can live happily.”
Hernandez,19, had a breakout season for the Sharks this year, posting an 8-3 record, striking out 90 batters to go with a 2.86 earned run average. He was named the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year.
This offseason he concentrated on switching from the bullpen to the starting rotation after struggling in his freshman campaign as a reliever. Hernandez had a 7.16 ERA, allowing 13 runs in 16.1 innings out of the bullpen in the 2021-22 season.
In high school, Hernandez starred at Hialeah Senior High School as an outfielder, boasting a .352 batting average and 13 RBI as a senior before converting to mound at MDC.
Both players were selected to the Florida College System Athletic Association First-Team this year.
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