A couple of former Hays Larks were selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Pitcher Carlos Tavera and outfielder Spencer Packard were both chosen. Tavera was chosen in the fifth round by Baltimore, Packard went in the ninth round to Seattle.
Tavera pitched for the Larks in 2018 and finished with a 4-0 record and 5.79 ERA. He was added to the Larks roster for the 2019 and 2020 NBC World Series making two appearances in 2019. He struck out 11 over six innings but didn't figure in the decision in the Larks 5-3 win over Lonestar Baseball out of Texas in last summer's NBC WS.
Tavera was a first team All-Sun Belt Conference selection this spring after going 3-4 with a 3.04 ERA.
He pitched the first nine innings of an 11-inning no-hitter against Little Rock which marked the first combined no-hitter in UTA history, longest in history and first since 1983.
Packard played for the Larks in 2017, competing in 23 games and batting .333 with eight home runs and 21 RBIs.
Packard started his career at Arizona Western College before transferring to Campbell where he hit .371 with 11 home runs and 67 RBIs this past spring.