North Carolina State University Athletics
Photo by: Mollie Mitchell
Jacob Cozart Selected 48th Overall By Cleveland Guardians in 2024 MLB Draft
7/14/2024 10:45:00 PM | Baseball
ARLINGTON, Texas – NC State catcher Jacob Cozart was selected 48th overall in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft by the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday night. With his selection in the second round of the 2024 Draft, he becomes the 22nd player in program history drafted in the top two rounds.
Cozart, who was named NC State's 47th All-American in program history this season, appeared in all 61 games with 60 starts in 2024. The Buster Posey Award finalist made 53 starts at catcher and seven as the designated hitter in a standout junior season, batting .305 with 19 home runs, 60 runs scored, 54 RBI, 134 total bases and a .601 slugging percentage. Cozart's 52 walks ranked first on the roster and finished second in NC State single-season program history.
The High Point native notched First Team All-ACC honors, Perfect Game Second Team All-America accolades and Third Team All-America honors from both Baseball America and D1Baseball in his final season with the Pack. Cozart logged 20 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI efforts in 2024.
Cozart started all eight games in NC State's fourth trip to the Men's College World Series in program history, leading the Pack with a .553 on-base percentage in the NCAA Tournament. He batted .393 with four runs scored, 11 hits, three homers and six RBI during the Wolfpack's run to Omaha.
Defensively, Cozart sported a .994 fielding percentage and threw out 14 of 42 runners attempting to steal this season. He ranked first among all ACC catchers during the regular season with 13 runners caught stealing.
Cozart earned Second Team All-ACC honors in 2023, batting .301 with 10 homers, 14 doubles, two triples, 42 RBI and 107 total bases. He led all NC State batters with 21 runs scored, 16 extra-base hits, 25 RBI and 62 total bases in ACC play.
Cozart made 52 appearances with 42 starts behind the plate as a freshman in 2022, logging nine multi-RBI outings and nine multi-hit games.
Cozart's selection marks the 128th player selected in the MLB Draft under NC State head coach Elliott Avent. He's the 12th position player drafted from NC State since 2020 and the 30th in the past 11 years.
The Wolfpack had five MLB Draft selections in this past year's draft, highlighted by LuJames Groover III's selection at No. 48 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. The Pack's five draft selections in 2023 marked the sixth time since 2014 the Wolfpack had at least five players picked in a single draft.
Cozart, who was named NC State's 47th All-American in program history this season, appeared in all 61 games with 60 starts in 2024. The Buster Posey Award finalist made 53 starts at catcher and seven as the designated hitter in a standout junior season, batting .305 with 19 home runs, 60 runs scored, 54 RBI, 134 total bases and a .601 slugging percentage. Cozart's 52 walks ranked first on the roster and finished second in NC State single-season program history.
The High Point native notched First Team All-ACC honors, Perfect Game Second Team All-America accolades and Third Team All-America honors from both Baseball America and D1Baseball in his final season with the Pack. Cozart logged 20 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI efforts in 2024.
Cozart started all eight games in NC State's fourth trip to the Men's College World Series in program history, leading the Pack with a .553 on-base percentage in the NCAA Tournament. He batted .393 with four runs scored, 11 hits, three homers and six RBI during the Wolfpack's run to Omaha.
Defensively, Cozart sported a .994 fielding percentage and threw out 14 of 42 runners attempting to steal this season. He ranked first among all ACC catchers during the regular season with 13 runners caught stealing.
Cozart earned Second Team All-ACC honors in 2023, batting .301 with 10 homers, 14 doubles, two triples, 42 RBI and 107 total bases. He led all NC State batters with 21 runs scored, 16 extra-base hits, 25 RBI and 62 total bases in ACC play.
Cozart made 52 appearances with 42 starts behind the plate as a freshman in 2022, logging nine multi-RBI outings and nine multi-hit games.
Cozart's selection marks the 128th player selected in the MLB Draft under NC State head coach Elliott Avent. He's the 12th position player drafted from NC State since 2020 and the 30th in the past 11 years.
The Wolfpack had five MLB Draft selections in this past year's draft, highlighted by LuJames Groover III's selection at No. 48 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. The Pack's five draft selections in 2023 marked the sixth time since 2014 the Wolfpack had at least five players picked in a single draft.
The 919 ➡️ The 216
— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) July 15, 2024
'Zart is off the board! Congrats to Jacob for being selected 48th overall by the @CleGuardians! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/Vqk3ZsQX2s
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