Orioles draft Lakeland grad Retzbach in 14th round
Jul. 20—Adam Retzbach was in a hotel room in Montpelier, Vermont, on Tuesday when he received a text message he's dreamed about getting.
Moments later, the dream became a reality.
Retzbach, a Lakeland High School graduate and Lehigh University catcher, was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 14th round (407th overall) of the Major League Baseball draft.
"My advisor texted me that I potentially could be picked by the Orioles coming up in the next round," Retzbach, 21, said. "Luckily, it came true and they drafted me. It was a really awesome moment and something I'll never forget."
On the chance he might be drafted, his family — father Craig, mother Mary, sisters Katie and Anna — made the trip to Vermont, where Retzbach is playing in the wooden bat New England Collegiate Baseball League.
"It was just a thought that we had to all be together," Retzbach said. "I'm really glad they were here. They saw me play in a few games the last few days. It was nice to have them with me in that moment.
"I honestly didn't know what to expect, what I would feel like if I was drafted. It's obviously something I've put a lot of work toward and a goal of mine for a while. When it happened, it was a really weird feeling that I can't describe. Just so happy and a lot of time put into it. It was kind of a surreal moment that was just incredible."
The 2019 Times-Tribune All-Region Player of the Year, Retzbach is coming off a junior season where he batted .294 with a .957 OPS and was named a Patriot League first-team all-star. He played in all 50 games for the Mountain Hawks and had 12 doubles, two triples and a league-high 11 home runs. His 54 hits ranked third on the team and his 46 RBIs were second on the team and fifth in the league.
He had a .991 fielding percentage, committing just three errors in 333 chances (290 putouts, 40 assists). He also threw out a league-high 17 runners attempting to steal.
"Retz is an excellent example of how putting in hard work behind the scenes resulting in huge strides in his game. He arrives with the early groups for hitting and always leaves with the last group," Lehigh coach Sean Leary said in a press release. "His arm and his defensive skills are obvious plus pro tools. But when his power potential started to flourish this spring he began to emerge as a power bat prospect at a premium defensive position."
This is the second consecutive summer Retzbach is playing in the NECBL with the Vermont Mountaineers. In 24 games, he batted .253 (19 for 75) with five doubles, two home runs, 13 RBIs and an .823 OPS.
Former batterymate and Archbald native Mason Black was selected in the third round of last year's draft by the San Francisco Giants. Black is with the High-A Eugene Emeralds and has a 2-1 record with a 3.02 earned-run average and 43 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings over eight starts.
"We did a lot of work together, whether it was at Lehigh or when we were home together," Retzbach said. "He was really excited for me. It was good to be able to share that moment with a really good friend of mine."
Retzbach is the 17th player in Lehigh history to be selected in the MLB Draft. Dunmore High School graduate and former Lackawanna Trail coach Rich Revta was the first in 1971, taken in the 26th round by the Washington Senators.
He can either sign a contract with the Orioles — players selected outside of the top 10 rounds can receive a signing bonus of up to $150,000 without it counting against teams' bonus pools — or return for another season of college ball.
As of now Retzbach said he plans on signing.
"This is what I want to do," Retzbach said. "I'm not too sure of the timeline, I haven't been filled in with all the details. I'm sure I'll find out in the next few days. I'm just excited for whatever the next step is."
Staff writer Conor Foley contributed to this report.
STAFF WRITER Conor Foley contributed to this report.
