Major League Baseball Draft: Quebecer Charles Davalan Selected by the Dodgers

Quebecer Charles Davalan was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday evening, during the first day of the annual Major League Baseball draft. The 21-year-old from Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville was selected with the supplemental picks of the first round, 41st ^overall .

• Also read: Quebecer Charles Davalan was not the biggest, nor the strongest...

• Also read: Antoine Jean is less than a week away from achieving the improbable in the draft

• Also read: Quebecers filled with hope for the major league baseball draft

"Being a Dodger is beyond reality," Davalan commented when contacted by Le Journal de Montréal . "It's as if I don't believe it yet, I'm so happy to have been able to experience that evening with my family. There's a lot of emotion in the house."

While he celebrated this precious moment with his father, Lucien, his mother, Paula, and his two brothers, Davalan also brought pride to the Quebec baseball world. Earlier this week, the sports-study program at De Mortagne High School in Boucherville announced the creation of the Charles Davalan Award, which will be awarded to the athlete who has demonstrated the greatest perseverance.

"I am first and foremost proud of him and his family, who have been very involved in his progress through many sacrifices," commented Michael Bélanger, general director of the baseball program, when asked to comment on the Dodgers' selection of the young man.

Having played as an outfielder with the University of Arkansas Razorbacks last season, Davalan was the highest-ranked Quebecer by Major League Baseball Central Scouting, at ^54th overall, going into this draft. In 65 games this past season, he posted an extraordinary .346 batting average with the Razorbacks.

Hope for Quebec

Rounds 4 through 20 are now scheduled for Monday. After Davalan, a few other Quebecers remain hopeful of being called up, starting with left-handed pitcher Antoine Jean of the University of Houston Cougars.

At 23, Jean had the season of his life with the Cougars. The reliever was named the pitcher of the year in the powerful Big 12 Conference. In 67 innings on the mound, Jean posted a 2.55 ERA. He also had an impressive 110 strikeouts.

An unexpected first choice

The Washington Nationals also selected 17-year-old American shortstop Eli Willits first overall. The Toronto Blue Jays, who had the eighth pick in the first round, also selected an American high school shortstop named JoJo Parker, who played in Purvis, Mississippi.

Another first-round highlight: Ethan Holliday was drafted by the Colorado Rockies with the fourth overall pick. His famous father, Matt, notably played 723 games with the Rockies during his major league career.