Former UT players Gomes, Lima get noticed at Barry : govolsxtra.com

The Toronto Blue Jays signed catcher Yan Gomes who became the highest-drafted player in Barry University baseball history going in the 10th round and 310th overall.

Gomes played two seasons at Tennessee before transferring to play his junior season in his hometown of Miami.

"I didn't really expect to get picked by the Blue Jays, but I am excited about them selecting me," Gomes said in a Barry press release. "One of my better friends, (former UT player) J.P. Arencibia, plays for the Blue Jays in AAA. Only problem is, he is also a catcher."

Gomes also played third base for the Bucs, but will likely be used as catcher in the minor leagues.

"I feel I am best at catcher," the 6-foot-1 Gomes said. "I think that's where my potential is highest and that is the position I want to play."

"He brought leadership and a work ethic that the other players really picked up," Barry coach Marc Pavao said. "I think the biggest reason for our success was the leadership he brought to the field each day."

Gomes set Barry records with 92 RBIs and 172 total bases, finishing just one off the record behind Danny Lima, another UT transfer, for hits (90) and Yudelmis Hernandez for homers (21), as he led the Bucs with a .405 average.

He was named the player of the year by the Sunshine State Conference and in the South Region by all three organizations (Daktronics, Inc., American Baseball Coaches Association and National Collegiate Baseball Writers) and was named first-team All-America in all three polls, too.

Last year, as a draft-eligible sophomore at UT, Gomes was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 39th round and 1,192 overall.

"Coming to Barry this year helped me feel more comfortable and I think that was a big help in improving my play and where I was drafted," Gomes said.

Gomes will likely be assigned to Lansing in the Class A Midwest League.

Lima, a senior, was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 23rd round with the 694th overall pick and selected as a shortstop.

"Texas was one of the teams that really showed a lot of interest in me," Lima said.

Lima played several positions, including shortstop, third base and center field throughout the season.

"I am looking forward to playing shortstop," Lima said. "Before I came to Barry, I played shortstop most of my life, so it shouldn't be too hard to adjust back to that position."

Lima hit .394 and led the Bucs in hits (91) and stolen bases (14).

"Playing at Barry was just such a huge difference from playing at Tennessee," Lima said. "Coming to Barry was one of the best decisions I made, as I really enjoyed my senior year and coach Pavao and everyone were just awesome."