Owl Standout Urbaez Off to the Reds as Free Agent
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Florida Atlantic University baseball’s Francisco Urbaez has agreed to sign with the Cincinnati Reds as part of the team’s post-draft free agent class.
Urbaez came to FAU after winning back-to-back Junior College national championships at Chipola College, and in his debut junior season with the Owls in 2019, hit .322 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI. He ranked among Conference USA leaders in sixth offensive categories, and defensively, led the league in assists while being part of the most double plays among middle infielders. The Owls’ second baseman capped off the year as a member of the C-USA All-Tournament Team, and following the season, was named Second Team ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region.
During the shortened 2020 campaign, Urbaez led off and started at second base in all 16 FAU games, finishing second on the team with a .292 average and leading the squad with 19 hits (including at least one hit in each of the team’s first seven games, and 11 of the first 12). He was also second on the Owls with 11 runs scored and 28 total bases, and third with a .403 on-base percentage, while ranking as the toughest batter in C-USA to strike out, and 10th-toughest in all of Division I: just three times in 65 at-bats and 77 plate appearances.
Urbaez becomes the fifth former Owl to begin his professional career with MLB’s oldest franchise, and first since catcher Robert Orton was drafted by the Reds in the 38th round of the 2004 draft. The others prior to Orton were catcher J.C. Huguet (free agent in 2000), shortstop Nick Preston (fifth round, 1996) and outfielder Jeff Forney (first round of the June secondary draft in 1985).
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