Rangers round out Day 1 with pick of Crouse

June 13th, 2017
Hans Crouse had a 0.88 ERA in his senior year over 67 innings while recording 99 strikeouts.

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers stayed in the high school ranks and selected right-hander Hans Crouse of Dana Hills (Calif.) with their second-round pick.

"I was in shock that he was still available at No. 66," scouting director Kip Fagg said. "I thought if we were going to compete for him, we would have to use one of our first two picks."

The Draft continues on Tuesday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, with exclusive coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

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Crouse, pitching at the same high school that produced , had a 0.88 ERA in his senior year over 67 innings while recording 99 strikeouts. He also pitched for Team USA in the under-18 gold medal-winning game against Cuba and recorded 11 strikeouts over 7 scoreless innings. He has a fastball that clocks in the upper 90s, with a curve and a changeup.

"He has a loose arm -- good feel for pitching," Fagg said.

Rangers' 26th overall pick: Bubba Thompson

Rangers' 29th overall pick: Christopher Seise

He also brings passion and energy to the game, with a mound presence that was well known across Southern California. He is not afraid to show his emotions on the field.

"I'm always going to be competitive," Crouse told the Dana Point Times. "I don't think it's something I can tame, because it's who I am out there on the mound. After the game, I'm fine with being your friend, but during the game I'm not trying to be your friend. My mentality is to attack every hitter and get outs for my team."

Crouse was the third high school player taken by the Rangers on Monday. They took outfielder Bubba Thompson with the 26th overall pick and shortstop Chris Seise with the 29th.