UL ace right-hander Cody Brasch may have had to wait a little longer than he would have preferred, but there was absolutely zero regret when the San Francisco Giants called with the 238th pick in the eighth round of Sunday's MLB draft.
Just a sense of appreciation and gratitude.
"Oh yeah, it was awesome," Brasch said. "It was unreal.
"We were watching and my agent was texting me, 'Alright, you're going this pick,' so we kind of had the anticipation going too. It was just really cool."
It was a bit surprising because San Francisco wasn't one of the teams Brasch had talked to much in the predraft process.
"At first, I was, 'Oh really, the Giants?' All right, come on," said Brasch, who expects to learn of his first assignment in the next few days.
It's going to be a new experience for Brasch, who has never been on the West Coast.
"It's all the Lord's doing, too, man.
I'm so thankful — thankful for what God has done in my life, and I'm thankful for all the blessings that he's put in front of me.
"I'm just going to continue to trust him and just continue to try to live out my dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player."
The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder began his only season with the Cajuns after transferring from Tyler Junior College as the team's closer, before moving to the Friday night starter the second half of the season.
In 74⅔ innings, Brasch allowed 53 hits, walked 21 and struck out 82. Opponents hit .197. He finished 6-3 with six saves and a 2.77 ERA.
After not having a player drafted last summer for the first time in UL program history since 2013, Brasch started a streak with his selection in the eighth round on Sunday.
In 2024, Kyle DeBarge became the highest draft pick in program history when he was taken with the No. 33 overall pick in the first round by the Minnesota Twins.
LP Langevin was later taken in the fourth round that season by Kansas City.
In 2023, UL made more noise in the first eight rounds with Carson Roccaforte selected at No. 66 overall in the second round by the Royals, before the Texas Rangers selected Julian Brock in the eighth round.
In 2021, Spencer Arrighetti was scooped up in the sixth round by Houston
In 2020, Hayden Cantrelle was taken by Milwaukee in the fifth round.
Two years before that, pitcher Hogan Harris was taken in the third round (85th overall) by the Oakland Athletics.
In 2015, shortstop Blake Trahan was also a third-round pick by Cincinnati at No. 84 overall.
The only other top eight picks this century were catcher Jonathan Lucroy No. 101 overall in the third round by Milwaukee in 2007, outfielder Corey Coles No. 139 overall in the fifth round by the Mets in 2003, outfielder Seth Harrison in the seventh round by the Giants in 2014, pitcher Patrick Green in the seventh round by Kansas City in 2004, catcher Danny Massiatte in the sixth round by Tampa Bay in 2000 and Scott Dohmann in the sixth round by Colorado in 2000.