#TCCBaseball: Arias, Featherstone sign pro contracts
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (June 29, 2016) – Tallahassee Community College pitcher Skylar Arias will forego his sophomore season with the Eagles after signing a professional contract with the Cleveland Indians.
Arias, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., was the Indians’ 24th round draft pick in Major League Baseball’s First-year Player Draft earlier this month. Though he had until July 15 to decide if he would return to the Eagles for the 2017 season, Arias signed with Cleveland on June 20 and was assigned to the Indians’ Rookie team in the Arizona League the same day.
The southpaw made his professional debut on June 23.
Outfielder Zach Featherstone also elected to begin his professional career, signing with the Minnesota Twins, also on June 23. The following day, he was assigned to Minnesota’s rookie team in the Gulf Coast League and made his professional debut the same day.
Featherstone, who hails from Charlotte, N.C., played for the Eagles in 2015 and 2016 and had signed a national letter of intent with his hometown University of Charlotte 49ers.
Arias and Featherstone are currently joined in the minor leagues by fellow Eagle alums OF D.J. McKnight ’14-’15 (Vancouver Canadians, Class A Short Season affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays), OF Shawn Pleffner ’08-’09 (Harrisburg Senators, Class AA affiliate of the Washington Nationals) and P Taylor Wright ’13 (Hillsboro Hops, Class A Short Season affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks).