Toronto Takes White Knoll’s Wise In 4th Round

CHARLESTON, S.C. (CofCSports.com) — College of Charleston third baseman and former White Knoll High School standout Carl Wise was the 122nd overall selection of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, becoming the third-highest selection in program history for The College. Wise becomes the third Cougar to be selected in the fourth round or earlier, joining Taylor Clarke, drafted by in the third round (76th overall) by the Diamondbacks in 2015, and Brett Gardner, drafted in the third round (109th overall) by the Yankees in 2005. Like Clarke and Gardner, Wise was undrafted out of high school, but came to The College where he developed and ultimately shined on a national level, catching the eyes of collegiate pundits and professional scouts alike. Wise, a Louisville Slugger All-American in 2015, batted .313 in his draft-eligible junior season, and led the Cougars in both runs scored (64) and RBIs (70), ranking 14th and sixth nationally in those categories, respectively. He departs The College as a lifetime .308 hitter after three seasons, racking up 120 runs scored and 154 RBIs to go with his .403 on-base percentage and .516 slugging percentage. Watching from his home in Lexington, S.C., Wise was ecstatic when his name was called on draft day, fulfilling a lifelong dream. “I couldn‘t feel anything; my heart just pounded and I was shaking,” said Wise. “I can‘t even describe the feeling. This is what I‘ve worked for my entire life, and I‘m honored and thankful to have the opportunity to continue playing this game. “I‘m grateful that the College of Charleston chose me. The coaching staff and my teammates at CofC developed me both on and off the field, and I‘m proud to be a Cougar. That coaching staff is made up of the best coaches, and those guys developed me into the player I am today by pushing me and having the confidence in me to be the best player I can be.” Wise becomes the 60th professional player from The College, and third to go to the Blue Jays. He relishes the opportunity to rejoin previous CofC teammate and fellow infielder Gunnar Heidt, who was drafted in the fourth round by Toronto last season. “We talked before the draft about how great it would be to play together again, but there are so many teams and so many players,” said Wise. “When I heard I was going to the Blue Jays, he was the first person I reached out to in order to tell him he may have a new teammate. I know I have a lot of work to do, but hopefully in the next few years we‘ll be back on the same squad playing together.” Wise was the first position player selected by the Blue Jays in the 2015 Draft.