University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

Holden Capps selected by Kansas City Royals in MLB Draft

6/13/2017 4:38:00 PM | By: Chris Brannick

Holden Capps was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the MLB Draft on Tuesday. [UCO Photo Services]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Royals selected University of Central Oklahoma pitcher Holden Capps with the 240th pick of the MLB Draft Tuesday, marking the first time a Broncho has been selected since 2008.

"That's great for him," UCO head coach John Martin said. "Congratulations to him. He gets to go play the game he loves for a living. There's no better feeling."

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Capps came to UCO last year and the Lawton native wasted no time settling in to the role of ace of the Broncho staff. The lefty opened the season with a four-strikeout game to knock off a ranked team and set the Bronchos on a path of unchartered success in 2017.

Capps would go 8-5 on the year in leading UCO to the postseason for the first time since 2006. He helped the Bronchos reach the NCAA Central Regional Championship, the farthest a Central team has made it in the postseason since 1997.

Capps led the way each and every outing for the Bronchos. He struck out a season-high 10 with two weeks left in the regular season and finished the year with 92 strikeouts, the fifth-most in one season in school history. Capps also entered the record books with his 96 1/3 innings pitched, the third-most in school history.

A product of Lawton High, Capps went to Redlands Community College in El Reno before transferring to UNC-Charlotte as a junior. He spent one year there before coming to Edmond.

Capps is just the third Broncho taken in the MLB Draft since 2004 and is the first since 2008. Miguel Moctezuma was the last UCO player taken, and was also taken by the Royals.

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