College Baseball Daily continues our countdown to the start of the 2018 season with number 26 Tanner Dodson of California.
The two-way player is from Elk Grove, California and attended Jesuit High School where he was a standout on the mound with an ERA of 2.10 and at the plate with a .430 batting average. He was selected in the 31st round of the 2015 MLB First Year Player Draft by the New York Mets but decided to go to California to continue his collegiate career.
As a freshman in 2016, he made 19 appearances on the mound and made nine starts for the Bears while finishing third on the team with four wins. Dodson had a breakout season in 2017 as he appeared in 49 games with 48 starts. He played 26 games in center field, 22 games at designated hitter while making seven starts on the mound. At the plate, he had a .297 average, 55 hits in 185 at-bats, 14 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 29 runs and 26 RBI. Also slugged .454 with a .358 on-base percentage and stole four bases. On the mound though, he struggled with a 2-6 record with a 5.37 ERA in 52 innings pitched. He had 48 strikeouts to 25 walks and picking up two saves.
Dodson spent the summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Wareham Gatemen where he led the league in hitting at a .365 clip with a homer and 14 RBI in 29 games. He also spent time on the mound with a record of 1-2 with a 3.69 ERA.
