Despite initial skepticism, leaving Maryland for junior college has become Andrew Bechtold’s best decision.
After batting just .218 as a redshirt freshman, the Garnet Valley product abandoned College Park in hopes of a restart. At Chipola College in northwest Florida, Bechtold found the spark he needed to rejuvenate his draft stock.
The 6-foot-2 third baseman and 2014 Pennsylvania Player of the Year was selected 136th in Tuesday’s MLB draft — the Minnesota Twins’ fifth-round pick.
“I knew the Twins were really high on me,” Bechtold said. “Even since the draft started. I heard rumors about anywhere from two through five, they were going to pull the trigger on me.