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Second City Saints: Kiser, Coats drafted by Chicago White Sox
BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@starlocalnews.com
Plano West alumni Kale Kiser and Jason Coats played their presumptive last game as teammates on June 7, 2008.
But one day short of the four-year anniversary of the Wolves winning the Class 5A State Baseball Championship, Kiser and Coats had to reevaluate that assumption as both were selected by the Chicago White Sox on Day 3 of the MLB First-Year Player Draft.
We split apart four years ago and to now get drafted by the same team, it's crazy," Coats said. "You just never know how things are going to work out."
"It's a lifelong dream for kids like us to play pro baseball," he said. "Jason and I grew up playing ball together and to now get drafted by the same team ... it's unbelievable."
It really did happen though.
Kiser, a senior center fielder for Nebraska, was taken by Chicago in the 23rd round (No. 711 overall) and Coats, a senior left fielder at TCU, was drafted by the White Sox in the 29th round (No. 891).
But while the two players from the same high school were drafted by the same professional team, they took very different paths to reach this point.
Coats was the more high-profile prospect for much of the duo's college careers.
Coats set a team record for hits in a season with 99 during a 2010 campaign in which TCU reached the College World Series. He followed up with a stout summer in Cape Cod and Baseball American dubbed him a "possible first-round draft pick" when he was eligible as a junior in 2011. But Coats slid to the 12th round with teams knowing he could be difficult to sign given his desire to finish his degree. Coats was selected by the Baltimore Orioles, but opted to return for his senior season.
That looked like a wise decision for much of 2012 as Coats putted up similar numbers for the Horned Frogs as he did as a junior and was seen by many scouts as a top 10-round pick.
That changed May 20 in the regular season finale against San Diego State.
"I hit a ball to shortstop and he threw it wide to first base," Coats said. "The first baseman dove into my line to get the ball, so I stepped over him and hurt myself when I planted my right leg and tried to push off.
"It was a freak thing."
A freak thing Coats wasn't overly concerned about at the time.
"I just thought I had hyperextended my knee and was frustrated I had to come out of the game," he said.
That feeling would get much worse a couple days later when an MRI confirmed Coats had actually torn his ACL.
"I was devastated," he said. "It was a real blow for me."
Coats said that family, friends and teammates helped snap him out of his funk.
"I've been trying to stay positive, he said, "and now I've got the mindset that this is just a bump in the road for where I want to be."
Coats knew his college career was over, but his team was continuing in the NCAA Tournament, so the West alum took on a more vocal role than he was accustomed to as the Horned Frogs won the College Station Regionals and advanced to the Super Regionals against UCLA.
Before TCU and UCLA squared off, Coats learned he was drafted.
"It was really cool because I found out about it during practice," he said. "I was playing catch with [assistant coach Tony Vitello] when I got a bunch of congratulations and told I was drafted."
Though the ACL injury played a large part in Coats being taken 17 rounds lower than he was a year prior, the left fielder was able to finish his accounting degree by returning to school.
"I still think it was the right way to go," Coats said. "I'm glad I came and I can look back at these past four years and know I wouldn't trade it for anything."
Despite the injury, Coats hasn't thought about giving up the sport.
"Definitely not," he said. "It's my dream to do this and I plan on playing baseball for as long as I can."
Coats was drafted June 6 and told by the White Sox to get his knee healed before the two sides talked contract. Coats wasted little time heeding that advice as he underwent surgery a week later, took two days to recover and began rehab Friday.
"I know Jason will work hard to heal up," Kiser said. "And he will be back on the field as quick as he can."
Kiser got on the field as quick as he could as well, signing with Chicago last Thursday, less than 24 hours after being drafted.
That no-nonsense, business-like approach has defined much of Kiser's career.
An on-base machine at West, Kiser carried on that tradition at Nebraska as the three-year starter ended his collegiate career with a .430 on-base percentage. Kiser was not drafted after his junior season, but that may have made him more focused coming in to 2012.
"The draft was in the back of my mind," he said, "but I've always been a team guy first, so I figured if I just went about my business the rest would take care of itself."
As a senior, Kiser ranked fourth in the Big Ten with 38 walks and tied for the conference lead with 14 HBPs. Kiser is third all-time at Nebraska in that category after getting plunked 46 times in his career. The center fielder saw his power numbers rise as well as he posted career highs in home runs and RBIs with six and 37, respectively.
"I feel like I relaxed more this season," Kiser said, "and really enjoyed the game."
Projected as a late-round pick, Kiser was just hoping to see his name when the MLB Draft concluded last Wednesday.
"I was helping my parents move and just trying to stay away from the computer because I had been watching it way too much," Kiser said with a chuckle. "Finally I told my parents I had to get out of the house, so I went to workout."
Before Kiser reached his car, he received a call that changed his life.
"My phone rang and it was [Nebraska head coach Darin Erstad] telling me 'way to go,' so I knew that could only mean one thing."
Kiser signed last Thursday and traveled to Glendale for a one-week training camp.
"I walked into the locker room and saw my name on a locker with the White Sox logo," Kiser said. "That's the first time everything really hit me."
Kiser's stay in Arizona didn't last long as he was off to Virginia Saturday to play for the Bristol White Sox, a short-season rookie league squad.
"High school to college was a huge transition and I'm sure college to the minors is going to be a huge transition too," Kiser said. "Those first games I'm going to come out swinging because I want to show everyone what I can do."
What Kiser can now tell everyone he does is play professional baseball.
"I still have to tell myself that a couple times a day because it seems so unreal," he said. "I'm getting to live my dream and I'm not going to waste this opportunity."
A train of thought shared by Coats, especially considering he and Kiser are part of the same organization again for the first time in four years.
"We are both really excited," Coats said. "Once I'm done with rehab and can get back on the field, me and Kale will be working out together in Spring Training come February and March."
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