Eli White’s dream of playing in the Major Leagues one day is one step closer to a reality. The Clemson shortstop was drafted in the 11th round by the Oakland Athletics on Saturday, one of six Tigers taken in the MLB Draft this weekend.
On Sunday, White confirmed to The Clemson Insider’s earlier reports that he will sign a professional contract later this week. White told TCI he will sign a professional contract on either Monday or Tuesday, meaning he will forgo his senior season at Clemson.
“It’s a dream come true. I’m really excited about the opportunity,” White said. “It is something that I have always dreamed of and something that I have worked hard towards. It is a great opportunity and I’m really excited about it.”
As for what’s next and where he will be assigned to play, White said he will play it by ear and figure all of that out once he signs. As of right now, he is still getting used to the concept of being a professional baseball player.
“I guess it has not completely sunk in yet,” he said. “I’m considered a professional baseball player right now. I get to chase a dream of playing in the Major Leagues one day. So it is surreal.
“I have been dreaming of this opportunity since I was a little kid. It is really cool. It was a cool experience on draft day of being drafted and getting a call. It has been a great experience and something I will remember for the rest of my life.”
White will also remember being a Clemson Tiger. He said when he was growing up in Easley, South Carolina he always imagined would it might be like to wear the Orange and White, and after doing it the last three years, it was better than he ever imagined it would be.
“Obviously, the success of the program played a big part in it and I wanted to develop as a person and as a baseball player,” White said. “I feel like I did that during my time at Clemson through all the coaches that I played for. They helped developed me as a player and as a person off the field so I’m very grateful for my time at Clemson. I learned things there that I could not have learned anywhere else.
“I could not be happier than to go to Clemson and experience the things that I did.”
White played a big role in the Tigers’ ACC Championship run this year. The junior batted .272 this past season, which included four home runs and 30 RBIs. He also had 24 stolen bases.
White, as mentioned above, was one of six Clemson players’ selected in the MLB Draft this weekend. Catcher Chris Okey was selected in the second round of the draft at No. 43 overall by the Cincinnati Reds, while pitcher Alex Bostic went in the 10th round to the San Francisco Giants. Second baseman Weston Wilson was selected in the 17th round by the Milwaukee Brewers, pitcher Clate Schmidt went in the 20th round by the Detroit Tigers and pitcher Pat Krall was selected in the 28th round by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Schmidt is a senior and has used up his eligibility, while Okey, Bostic, White, Wilson and Krall are all juniors. Like White, Wilson has already announced he is turning pro and TCI learned several weeks back that Bostic will do the same. At the time, TCI also reported Krall will return to Clemson for his senior year.
As for White, he said this season was special and he was glad he was a part of a team that not only one an ACC Championship, but also laid the foundation for the program for years to come under head coach Monte Lee.
“It was cool getting to play on Coach Lee’s first team,” said White, who says he will return to Clemson in the future and earn his degree. “That was something we talked about. We talked about being a good first team that people would look back on, one that kind of set the standard.
“I feel like we were able to do that by winning the ACC Championship, and all of the come-from-behind wins that we had. It was a great season and I had a lot of fun during it.”