MLB draft selection an emotional moment for Ardrey Kell, UNC pitcher Trent Thornton
Trent Thornton knows a thing or two about composure.
He started for North Carolina in an elimination game in the College World Series and has been the Tar Heels’ closer for parts of two seasons. Through it all, the former Ardrey Kell standout consistently held his emotions in check.
But Tuesday, gathered with his family at their home in Charlotte, Thornton couldn’t help but become emotional when he was selected by the Houston Astros in the fifth round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft.
“My mom was jumping up and down,” Thornton said. “It was so crazy to me. I was trying to keep my composure, but I started to tear up a little bit, and then she started to cry.
“My dad, who never cries, had some tears in his eyes. It was just a really special moment.”
Adding to the emotion was the absence of Thornton’s grandfather, Jerry Thornton, who died when Trent was a senior at Ardrey Kell. Thornton said his grandfather served as his role model and best friend when he was growing up. He never missed a game.
“He was always there. When we had tournaments away, I always stayed with him in the hotel,” Thornton said. “I just wanted to be around him all of the time. He was just a great influence on me and the man I’ve become today.”
In addition to his grandfather and his parents, Thornton credited coach Hal Bagwell and pitching coach Ray Korn of Ardrey Kell as well as the Tar Heels coaching staff for their help in allowing him to achieve his dream.
But Bagwell said all the credit belongs to Thornton, because of his hard work and poise.
“Man, he’s got it,” Bagwell said. “It’s inside of him, and that’s the thing Houston will soon find out and obviously they knew before. But he’s got that. The presence he has up there and the will to get it done, it’s something you certainly can’t teach and certainly most kids don’t have.”
In his junior season at UNC, Thornton pitched 62 innings and struck out 81, which led the team. The season capped an impressive three years for Thornton in Chapel Hill, where he earned consensus freshman All-America honors in 2013.
Thornton is the fourth Tar Heel drafted by the Astros in the past five years. He said two of the several text messages he received on Tuesday came from former UNC and current Houston players Kent Emanuel and Brian Holberton.
And although his grandfather couldn’t be with him, Thornton knew exactly what three-word message he’d have for him: “I love you.”
“Ever since I was little we’d talk about making it to the big leagues and all of that kind of stuff,” Thornton said. “I know he’s up there watching me, but it was real tough with him not being there. It was hard for my dad. But it was such a cool experience, because I know he’d be real proud of me.”
Carolinas draftees
Players who are known to have played high school or college baseball in the Carolinas who were drafted:
Rnd. | Pick | Team | Name | School | Pos. |
2 | 45 | Texas Rangers | Eric Jenkins | West Columbus HS | OF |
3 | 76 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Taylor Clarke | College of Charleston | RHP |
3 | 78 | Texas Rangers | Michael Matuella | Duke | RHP |
3 | 85 | Miami Marlins | Isaiah White | Greenfield School | CF |
3 | 88 | New York Mets | Max Wotell | Marvin Ridge HS | LHP |
4 | 112 | Chicago White Sox | Zack Erwin | Clemson | LHP |
4 | 114 | Philadelphia Phillies | Kyle Martin | South Carolina | 1B |
4 | 122 | Toronto Blue Jays | Carl Wise | College of Charleston | 3B |
4 | 124 | Cleveland Indians | Tyler Krieger | Clemson | SS |
4 | 125 | Seattle Mariners | Dylan Thompson | Socastee HS | RHP |
4 | 128 | Oakland Athletics | Skye Bolt | North Carolina | CF |
4 | 129 | Kansas City Royals | Garrett Davila | South Point HS | LHP |
5 | 139 | Houston Astros | Trent Thornton | North Carolina | RHP |
5 | 150 | Atlanta Braves | Ryan Clark | UNC Greensboro | RHP |
6 | 167 | Colorado Rockies | Jack Wynkoop | South Carolina | LHP |
6 | 178 | Tampa Bay Rays | Benton Moss | North Carolina | RHP |
6 | 186 | San Francisco Giants | Steven Duggar | Clemson | CF |
6 | 194 | Washington Nationals | Matt Crownover | Clemson | LHP |
7 | 203 | Chicago Cubs | Craig Brooks | Catawba College | RHP |
7 | 204 | Philadelphia Phillies | Luke Leftwich | Wofford | RHP |
7 | 205 | Cincinnati Reds | Jordan Ramsey | UNC Wilmington | RHP |
8 | 231 | Boston Red Sox | Logan Allen | IMG Academy | LHP |
8 | 232 | Chicago White Sox | Casey Schroeder | Coastal Carolina | C |
8 | 233 | Chicago Cubs | Preston Morrison | TCU | RHP |
8 | 248 | Oakland Athletics | Nick Collins | Georgetown | C |
9 | 265 | Cincinnati Reds | Sarkis Ohanian | Duke | RHP |
9 | 266 | Miami Marlins | Reilly Hovis | North Carolina | RHP |
10 | 290 | Minnesota Twins | Sean Miller | USC Aiken | SS |
10 | 294 | Philadelphia Phillies | Joshua Tobias | Florida | 3B |
10 | 295 | Cincinnati Reds | Zach Shields | UNC Wilmington | CF |
10 | 303 | New York Yankees | James Reeves | The Citadel | LHP |
10 | 311 | St. Louis Cardinals | Kep Brown | Wando HS | RF |
10 | 313 | Baltimore Orioles | Reid Love | East Carolina | LHP |
12 | 354 | Philadelphia Phillies | Skylar Hunter | The Citadel | RHP |
13 | 376 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Jason Morozowski | Mount Olive | CF |
13 | 385 | Cincinnati Reds | Andrew Jordan | Hunter Huss HS | RHP |
13 | 397 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Logan Ratledge | NC State | SS |
13 | 403 | Baltimore Orioles | Cedric Mullins | Campbell | CF |
13 | 404 | Washington Nationals | Max Schrock | South Carolina | 2B |
14 | 406 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Luke Lowery | East Carolina | C |
15 | 445 | Cincinnati Reds | Blake Butler | College of Charleston | 2B |
15 | 450 | Atlanta Braves | Bradley Keller | Crest HS | OF |
16 | 484 | Cleveland Indians | Cobie Vance | Pine Forest HS | 2B |
17 | 496 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Austin Mason | The Citadel | RHP |
17 | 504 | Philadelphia Phillies | Kenny Loplove | Duke | RHP |
17 | 510 | Atlanta Braves | Evan Phillips | UNC Wilmington | RHP |
17 | 513 | New York Yankees | Brody Koerner | Clemson | RHP |
19 | 566 | Miami Marlins | Curt Britt | NC State | RHP |
20 | 596 | Miami Marlins | Korey Dunbar | North Carolina | C |
20 | 601 | Milwaukee Brewers | David Lucroy | East Carolina | RHP |
20 | 602 | Toronto Blue Jays | Tyler Burden | Chowan | RHP |
21 | 622 | Chicago White Sox | Landon Lassiter | North Carolina | LF |
21 | 627 | San Diego Padres | Nick Monroe | UNC Wilmington | RHP |
21 | 631 | Milwaukee Brewers | Jon Olczak | NC State | RHP |
21 | 638 | Oakland Athletics | Andrew Tomasovich | Charleston Southern | LHP |
21 | 644 | Washington Nationals | Matt Pirro | Wake Forest | RHP |
21 | 645 | Los Angeles Angels | Michael Pierson | Appalachian State | 3B |
21 | 665 | Seattle Mariners | Joey Strain | Winthrop | RHP |
22 | 674 | Washington Nationals | Adam Bohosian | North Greenville | RHP |
23 | 677 | Colorado Rockies | Steven Leonard | Campbell | C |
23 | 696 | San Francisco Giants | Dillon Dobson | Appalachian State | 3B |
23 | 702 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Andrew Istler | Duke | RHP |
24 | 710 | Minnesota Twins | Jaylin Davis | Appalachian State | CF |
24 | 711 | Boston Red Sox | Brad Stone | NC State | LHP |
24 | 728 | Oakland Athletics | Heath Bowers | Campbell | RHP |
25 | 755 | Seattle Mariners | Joe Peeler | East Rowan HS | RHP |
25 | 775 | Cincinnati Reds | Dwanya Williams-Sutton | Greenfield School | CF |
27 | 822 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Ivan Vieitiz | Lenoir-Rhyne | RHP |
28 | 832 | Chicago White Sox | Bradley Strong | Western Carolina | 3B |
28 | 839 | New York Mets | Anthony Dimino | Belmont Abbey | C |
28 | 847 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Albert Baur | Newberry College | 1B |
29 | 861 | Boston Red Sox | Will Stillman | Wofford | RHP |
29 | 862 | Chicago White Sox | Jake Fincher | NC State | CF |
29 | 867 | San Diego Padres | Tyler Moore | USC Aiken | 2B |
30 | 888 | Texas Rangers | Jeffrey Springs | Appalachian State | LHP |
30 | 891 | Boston Red Sox | Jack Conley | Leesville Road HS | C |
31 | 916 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Vance Vizcaino | Stetson | 3B |
31 | 943 | Baltimore Orioles | Will Shepley | UNC Wilmington | LHP |
32 | 951 | Boston Red Sox | Clate Schmidt | Clemson | RHP |
32 | 952 | Chicago White Sox | Taylore Cherry | North Carolina | RHP |
32 | 971 | St. Louis Cardinals | Thomas Spitz | Wingate | CF |
33 | 978 | Texas Rangers | C.D. Pelham | Spartanburg Methodist | LHP |
34 | 1019 | New York Mets | L.T. Tolbert | IMG Academy | RHP |
34 | 1022 | Toronto Blue Jays | Hunter Barnett | Mount Olive | LHP |
36 | 1071 | Boston Red Sox | Trevor Kelley | North Carolina | RHP |
36 | 1076 | Miami Marlins | Gunnar Kines | Mount Olive | LHP |
36 | 1087 | Pittsburgh Pirates | James Marvel | Duke | RHP |
37 | 1117 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Eli White | Clemson | SS |
39 | 1167 | San Diego Padres | Adam Hill | T.L. Hanna HS | RHP |
This story was originally published June 10, 2015 at 7:03 PM with the headline "MLB draft selection an emotional moment for Ardrey Kell, UNC pitcher Trent Thornton."