Courtesy of UNLV Athletics

LAS VEGAS  – UNLV baseball’s Austin Cates was selected with the 217th overall picked during the seventh round by the Toronto Blue Jays of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft earlier this week. Cates’ selection marks the second-consecutive year that a Hustlin’ Rebel has been drafted, last year featuring Jacob Sharp and Jack Sellinger. The Henderson, Nev., native’s pick marks the fourth time in program history that a UNLV student-athlete has been selected by the Blue Jays.

Cates’ 2024 season with UNLV marked one of the more dominant of a Rebel pitcher in recent memory, the junior transfer ranking sixth out of all NCAA DI pitchers in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.13). That number not only led the Mountain West Conference, but Cates also topped the league in total strikeouts during the season (107). Giving up only 15 walks in 14 appearances at the mound, he ended the season with a 6-5 record overall. Cates would be one of two Rebels to make the All-Mountain West First Team during the 2024 season, joining Austin Kryszczuk on the list.

A product out of Coronado High School, Cates would lead the team in wins (six), games started (14), innings pitched (90.1) and strikeouts (107). He would produce six games during the year that were tallied with double-digit strikeouts, including a three-start stretch during MW play that reached a total of 23 innings. His single-game career high was noted during that three-game stretch, reaching 13 strikeouts in the 9-2 win over San Diego State. In that contest, he’d toss a season-high eight innings of work on the mound without giving up a single walk.

REBEL DRAFT NOTES:
– Cates is the second UNLV student-athlete to be drafted in the seventh round in the MLB Draft.
– Picked 217th overall and the fourth player in program history to be drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays.
– The last Hustlin’ Rebel to be selected by the Blue Jays was 2017 UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame member Eric Nielsen during the 2004 MLB Draft (12th round).
– The second-consecutive year that a Hustlin’ Rebel has been drafted, the 2023 season marking two student-athletes in the 2023 MLB Draft (Jack Seelinger, Jacob Sharp).
– Cates’ seventh-round selection marks the third time in the last 10 MLB Drafts that a Hustlin’ Rebel has been selected in a single-digit round (Bryson Stott; first round, Kyle Isbel; third round).
– The 2024 MLB Draft marks the third Rebel pitcher to be selected since 2017 (Sellinger; 2023, Trevor Horn; 2018).  

CATES SUMMARIES:
– Ranked sixth among NCAA DI pitchers in strikeout-to-walk ratio during the 2024 season with a 7.13 mark.
– Also ranked among the top-30 throwers in Division I in total strikeouts on the season, tossing 107 total.
– Led the Mountain West in both previously-mentioned statistical categories, as well as strikeouts per nine innings (10.66).
– Tabbed as an All-Mountain West First Team honoree during the 2024 season, one of two Hustlin’ Rebels mentioned on the list.
– Headed the team in wins, games started, innings pitched and strikeouts during the 2024 season.
– Out of 14 starts, Cates featured six of those appearances with double-digit strikeouts.
– Transferred to UNLV prior to the 2024 season from the College of Southern Nevada.