3 ILH baseball alumni, University of Hawaii pitcher taken on Day 3 of MLB draft
ANDREW LEE / 2019
Kamehameha’s Kelena Sauer, shown pitching during his junior season with the Warriors, was selected in the 15th round of the MLB draft today.
ASSOCIATED PRESS / APRIL 9
North Carolina State’s Kalae Harrison, a Punahou alum, was selected in the 18th round of the MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates today.
STEVEN ERLER / MAY 11
Hawaii pitcher Harry Gustin was selected in the 18th round of the MLB draft by the San Diego Padres today.
ANDREW LEE / MAY 4
Kamehameha’s Elijah Ickes, who tagged out Campbell’s Dayton Lorenzo in a game in the state baseball tournament, was selected in the 19th round by the Texas Rangers.
Kamehameha alumnus Kelena Sauer, who has pitched at San Diego State the last three years, was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 15th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft today.
Sauer, a 6-foot-3 right-hander, was the No. 454 overall pick and the third player with Hawaii ties taken in the draft, joining Hilo alums Devin Saltiban and Maui Ahuna, who were picked Monday.
Reigning All-State Position Player of the Year Elijah Ickes, a University of Hawaii signee, was selected in the 19th round (No. 561) by the Texas Rangers to give Kamehameha 23 alumni chosen all-time in the draft, more than any other Hawaii high school.
Kamehameha has had at least one alum selected in each of the last five drafts that went at least 20 rounds. The 2020 draft was shortened to five rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sauer, who earned All-Mountain West first-team honors this year as a junior, had 12 saves in 26 appearances with the Aztecs. He struck out 35 in 31 innings with a 4.35 ERA.
Punahou alum Kalae Harrison, who spent two seasons at Texas A&M before transferring to N.C. State for his junior year, was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 18th round with the 527th overall pick.
Harrison, one of two players to start all 57 games for the Wolfpack this year, hit .313 with 10 doubles, two triples, three homers, 37 RBIs and 42 runs scored.
He’s the first Punahou alumnus selected since Beau Branton in 2018 and is the younger brother of K.J. Harrison, who was selected in the third round in 2017.
University of Hawaii left-hander Harry Gustin was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 18th round (No. 551). Gustin said he is planning to sign with the team in the next few days.
