What happens when your RECRUITING is TOO GOOD? Georgia Tech finds out

Georgia Tech baseball coach Danny Hall knew it was coming. He signed one of the nation’s best recruiting classes this past year and it was raided in last week’s major-league draft.

Nine of Georgia Tech’s incoming recruits were selected by MLB teams, headlined by two first-rounders — Blessed Trinity OF Jake Skole to the Texas Rangers at No. 15 and Marietta OF Chevez Clarke to the LA Angels at No. 30. Skole bypassed his Georgia Tech football scholarship (he planned to walk on the baseball team), signed with the Rangers for a $1.557 million bonus, and reported to Arizona for extended spring training on Monday night.

“You definitely want to recruit good talent … and I guess if you are going to lose somebody, let’s lose them the way we lost Jake Skole and Chevez Clarke, two guys who went in the first round,” Hall told the AJC.

“I think it remains to be seen on the rest on some of the other guys. We’re excited that the rest of them got drafted. We’ll try to do a good job educating them and convincing them that we can develop their talents good enough to prepare them for their next go-around (draft opportunity) in pro baseball.

“It’s kind of early to tell who is going to come, and who may sign early.”

MLB teams have a Aug. 16 deadline to sign the incoming recruits.

What about Clarke? Does Georgia Tech have a shot at retaining him? “First-round picks are no-brainers,” Hall said. “I tell everybody that if you go in the first round, it’s pretty hard not to take that and sign unless there are some circumstances. Jake has signed and I fully expect [Clarke] to sign.”

Here’s a look at Georgia Tech’s incoming recruits that were drafted by MLB teams:

1 (15) Jake Skole, OF, Texas Rangers (signed)
1 (30) Chevez Clarke, OF, Los Angeles Angels
4 (128) Matthew Grimes, RHP, Chicago White Sox
8 (240) Alexander Lavisky, C, Cleveland Indians
14 (435) DeAndre Smelter, RHP, Minnesota Twins
19 (591) Daniel Palka, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies
44 (1326) Daniel Hyde, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays
47 (1423) Christopher Triplett, SS, Detroit Tigers
50 (1497) Dusty Isaacs, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates