2016 Draft Pick Series: Travis Eckert

Travis Eckert was selected by the Royals in the 7th round (223rd overall) of Friday’s 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft. A 6-2 right handed pitcher, Eckert comes to the Royals via Oregon State, where he was the Beavers #1 starter during his senior campaign (6-4, 3.28 ERA). Travis was also drafted in 2015 by the San Francisco Giants (20th round) but elected to return for his senior season at Oregon State. He recently joined Dave O to talk about being drafted twice, why he returned to school, his surprise and excitement in the Royals being the team that selected him and lots more! (Photo Courtesy Oregon State University)

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2016 Draft Pick Series: Walker Sheller

Walker Sheller was selected by the Royals in the 9th round (283rd overall) of Friday’s 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft. A 6-3 right handed reliever, the Royals chose Sheller out of Stetson University, where he saved 12 games as a junior with a 1.38 ERA and 44 K’s in 45.2 IP. The Jacksonville, Florida native joined Dave O less than 72 hours after his selection to talk about the uniqueness of his TWO different deliveries, multiple past connections to the Royals, a claim to fame on the 17th hole at Sawgrass and lots more! (Photo Courtesy Stetson University)

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2016 Draft Pick Series: Nicky Lopez

Nicky Lopez was selected by the Royals in the 5th round (163rd overall) of Friday’s 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft. A 5-10 shortstop, Lopez comes to the Royals from Creighton University, where he was second team All-Big East in 2016 after hitting .306 (.387 on base) with 11 doubles, five triples and two home runs. Known as near big league ready with the glove, the Chicagoland native joined Dave O less than 72 hours after being drafted to talk about the best Chicago Style Pizza, coming back from a torn meniscus (and surgery) in just eight games, his pre-draft workout at “The K” and lots more! (Photo Courtesy Creighton University)

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2016 Draft Pick Series: Cal Jones

Cal Jones was selected by the Royals in the 6th round (193rd overall) of Friday’s 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft. A centerfielder and Alabama commit, Jones hails from Dadeville, Alabama, where his 2016 high school numbers look like a video game – an average of .516, .593 on-base percentage, 10 home runs, 41 RBI’s, 55 runs and 10 steals in 122 at bats. He joined Dave O less than 48 hours after his selection to talk about being the first player from his hometown of 3,000 drafted in 28 years, choosing pro baseball over college, Bo Jackson, the happiness of being a Royal and lots more! (Photo Courtesy Cal Jones)

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2016 Draft Pick Series: Richard Lovelady

Richard Lovelady was selected by the Royals in the 10th round (313th overall) of Friday’s 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft. A 6-0 left handed pitcher, Lovelady comes to the Royals via Kennesaw State University, where he was in the top three nationwide in 2016 appearances (37). Lovelady finished this past season with a 2.96 ERA, 45.2 IP, 52 K’s and an opponent’s batting average of just .186. He recently joined Dave O to give a full scouting report, his surprise on being drafted so early, his thoughts on having a legendary name and lots more! (Photo Courtesy Kennesaw State University)

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Hunter Dozier

Hunter Dozier was Kansas City’s first round pick in the 2013 Draft and has spent the first two months of 2016 tearing the cover off of the ball at Northwest Arkansas and Omaha (.357/.562/.919 with 12 HR’s). A consensus mid-season Top 10 Royals prospect, Dozier plays both third base and the outfield, and finds himself knocking on the Kansas City door. He recently joined Dave O to talk about how a high school broken collarbone might have been a blessing in disguise, his college days at Stephen F. Austin, the excitement of being KC’s first round pick, the highs of the minor leagues and lows of the minor leagues and lots more! (Photo Courtesy Minda Haas Kuhlmann)

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Glenn Sparkman

Glenn Sparkman is currently rehabbing his elbow in Surprise and is hopeful of joining an affiliate soon during the 2016 season. Selected by the Royals in the 20th round of the 2013 draft, the right hander owns sparkling career minor league marks of 11-5 with a 1.82 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 185 K’s in 177.2 IP. In his most recent full season, Sparkman had a Carolina League leading 1.56 ERA for Wilmington in 2014 (also best in the Royals system). For his efforts, Sparkman earned both Wilmington and Carolina League Pitcher of the Year. He recently joined Dave O to give an update on his current status, a complete scouting report on what he features, a fascinating story of growing up in a town of 2,000 and lots more! (Photo Courtesy John Owen/Northwest Arkansas Naturals)

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Corey Toups

Corey Toups was selected by the Royals in the 15th round of the 2014 draft out of Sam Houston State, where he was a teammate of current Northwest Arkansas slugger Ryan O’Hearn. A middle infielder for High A Wilmington, Toups was a Pioneer League All-Star at Idaho Falls in 2014 when he led the entire league in on base percentage (.453). He followed that up with Lexington in 2015 as the league leader in runs scored (75) and 10th in batting average (.291), as well as 4th in the Royals system in stolen bases (31). He first caught up with Dave O the day after being drafted in June of 2014 and recently joined Clubhouse Conversation again to talk about each of the last two years, his progress on the guitar and with Rubik’s Cubes, playing for Jamie Quirk and lots more! (Photo Courtesy Mary Lay/Lexington Legends)

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Brooks Pounders

Brooks Pounders begins the 2016 season in the starting rotation of the Omaha Storm Chasers, where he has marks of 3-1 with a 3.41 ERA and 37 K’s in 31.2 IP (as of May 12th). Originally a 2nd round selection of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009, Pounders came to the Royals in a trade that sent infielder Yamacio Navarro to the Steel City. He recently joined Dave O to talk about tossing Northwest Arkansas’s first ever no-hitter, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, winning the highly sought after “Moniker Madness” award and lots more! (Photo Courtesy Minda Haas Kuhlmann)

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Up17 Giveaway With Desi Relaford

Desi Relaford joins Dave O for the second time on Clubhouse Conversation, as the two discuss his new venture with Up17, defensive shifts, steroids, the current state of the Royals and much more! Desi played 11 seasons in the Big Leagues for the Phillies, Padres, Mets, Mariners, Royals (2003-2004), Rockies and Rangers. Always a treat to speak with, we know you’ll enjoy! (Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals)

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