June 11, 2016
Following in the footsteps of his recently retired Major League Baseball All-Star father, University of Notre Dame two-sport star Torii Hunter Jr. heard his name called in the MLB First-Year Player Draft Saturday, as the Los Angeles Angels selected him in the 23rd round (696 overall).
Hunter Jr.’s drafting comes 23 years after his father – Torii Hunter – went in the first round (20th overall) of the 1993 MLB Draft to the Minnesota Twins.
Saturday’s selection marks the second time Hunter Jr. has heard his named called in the MLB Draft as he was also picked in the 36th round of the 2013 draft by the Detroit Tigers following his high school graduation from Prosper High School.
A Prosper, Texas native, Hunter Jr. is the first Notre Dame player drafted by the Angels since Matt Scioscia in 2011.
Hunter Jr. is the 15th Notre Dame player drafted since Aoki stepped foot on campus before the 2011 season.
As a junior on the diamond in 2016, Hunter saw action in 19 games with one start. He tallied a pair of hits, an RBI, two walks and seven runs scored. Hunter Jr. also registered two stolen bases and recorded a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
As a junior on the gridiron in 2015, Hunter played in all 13 games and started in the season-opening rout of Texas (Sept. 5). He caught 28 passes for 363 yards and a pair of TDs. Hunter Jr. ranked third on the Irish in TD catches, third in receiving yards and fourth in receptions. He registered four receptions of at least 20 yards, 21 of his 28 receptions went for first downs or touchdowns and five of his six receptions on third down went for first downs or touchdowns.
Hunter Jr. caught a two-point conversion pass with 12 seconds left at Virginia (Sept. 12), a one-yard TD pass with seven seconds left to play at No. 12 Clemson (Oct. 3) and a 12-yard TD reception at Pittsburgh (Nov. 7).
Irish Players Drafted Under Head Coach Mik Aoki
2011
Brian Dupra, RHP, Sr. (Washington Nationals, 7th Round)
Cole Johnson, RHP, Sr. (Minnesota Twins, 44th Round)
Matt Scioscia, C, Sr. (Anaheim Angels, 45th Round)
2012
Joe Hudson, C, Sr. (Cincinnati Reds, 6th Round)
Will Hudgins, RHP, Sr. (Washington Nationals, 22nd Round)
Steve Sabatino, LHP, Sr. (St. Louis Cardinals, 26th Round)
2013
Eric Jagielo, 3B, Jr. (New York Yankees, 1st Round)
Dan Slania, RHP, Jr. (San Francisco Giants, 5th Round)
Trey Mancini, 1B, Jr. (Baltimore Orioles, 8th Round)
Charlie Markson, OF, Sr. (Milwaukee Brewers, 38th Round)
2014
Pat Connaughton, RHP, Jr. (Baltimore Orioles, 4th Round)
Donnie Hissa, RHP, Sr. (Milwaukee Brewers, 21st Round)
2015
Conor Biggio, OF, Sr. (Houston Astros, 34th Round)
2016
Cavan Biggio, 2B, Jr. (Toronto Blue Jays, 5th Round)
Torii Hunter Jr., OF, Jr. (Los Angeles, 23rd Round)
— ND —