ATLANTA - For the first time in Mount Vernon's athletic history, the Mustangs have a professional athlete.
Former baseball player Tres Gonzalez (Class of 2019) was selected in the 37th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft on Wednesday afternoon, June 5.
"Tres is a phenomenal young man," Mount Vernon Head Baseball Coach Jeremy Beckham said. "Whichever route he chooses, he will make the best of it."
Gonzalez, who signed his national letter of intent with Georgia Tech last winter, has decided he will begin his career at Georgia Tech and work towards the MLB Draft.
According to prospects within the draft, "Gonzalez is a left-handed hitter with solid, raw power and he has the room to add more if he gets stronger. The 6-foot, 170-pound outfielder is a Georgia Tech recruit out of Mount Vernon Presbyterian School. He can run and play centerfield."
Gonzalez was named GHSA Region 5-1A Player of the Year as a sophomore, junior and senior.
He steered the Mustangs to an 18-8 overall record and a berth in the GHSA Class-A Private Sweet-16 this past season.
He also led the team in batting average (.444), on-base percentage (.578), slugging percentage (.667) and OPS (1.245) in 2019.
He finished his senior campaign with 28 hits, including nine extra base hits.
Gonzalez said he found out he had been drafted while driving home in his car.
"Coach Beckham texted me saying, "congratulations" and I was confused. Then I went online when I got home and found out I had gotten drafted."
Gonzalez also credits Mount Vernon playing a key role in being drafted because, "Coach Beckham was able to talk to scouts during the baseball season about how I could be beneficial to their organization."
Added Gonzalez: "My overall goal in all of this is to become the best baseball player I can be on and off the field. I know that right now I needed to get bigger, faster and stronger these next few years at Georgia Tech. Hopefully I will be back in the 2022 MLB Draft and my name will be called very early."
The Mount Vernon Athletic Department strives to build the student-athlete by providing a five-star experience built on community, courage, development, hospitality and professionalism. As a school of inquiry, innovation and impact grounded in Christian values, we prepare all students to be college-ready, globally competitive, and engaged citizen leaders. For more information on Mount Vernon athletics, visit www.mountvernonathletics.com and follow @MV_Athletics on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news on the Mustangs.
