<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS – June 10, 2020</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">LOFTIN SELECTED 32<sup>ND</sup> OVERALL BY KANSAS CITY IN 2020 MLB DRAFT
</span></b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Baylor’s shortstop was the 32<sup>nd</sup> overall pick of the Kansas City Royals.
</span></i></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact: </span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Rachel Caton, (254) 652-2061, </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="mailto:Rachel_Caton@baylor.edu"><span style="color:#954F72">Rachel_Caton@baylor.edu</span></a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">WACO, Texas</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> – Junior shortstop Nick Loftin was selected 32<sup>nd</sup> overall by the Kansas City
Royals in the 2020 MLB Draft, announced Wednesday evening. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Loftin, the 32<sup>nd</sup> overall pick in the first round competitive balance A, is the 13<sup>th</sup> Bear overall to be selected in the first round. For the second-time
in program history, Bears were selected in the first round in back-to-back seasons as Loftin’s former teammates Shea Langeliers and Davis Wendzel were first round selections a year ago. The only other time the Bears had first round selections in back-to-back
years came when Kip Wells was taken 16<sup>th</sup> overall in 1998 and Jason Jennings followed suit as the 16<sup>th</sup> overall pick in 1999.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Loftin is just the fifth Bear to be selected by the Kansas City Royals in program history and the only one taken in the first round. The last to be selected by the Royals was
Zane Carlson in the 27<sup>th</sup> round of the 2004 draft. Other Baylor draft selections of the Royals include Justin Taylor (38<sup>th</sup> round, 2002), Eric Nelson (8<sup>th</sup> round, 1999) and Jeremy Dodson (7<sup>th</sup> round, 1998).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">A difference maker for the Bears since he stepped on campus, Loftin was a Freshman All-American in 2018, batting .306 as he started 53 of 55 games on the year, driving home 36
runs with 12 doubles and six home runs. As a junior in 2019, he batted a career-best .323 in 53 starts with 18 doubles, six home runs and 41 RBI, earning First Team All-Big 12 honors. In the shortened 2020 season due to COVID 19, Loftin was a Preseason All-American
and the preseason pick for Big 12 Player of the Year. He batted .298 through 14 games and showed more power in the small sample size, with two home runs, two triples, four doubles and 15 RBI.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">A native of Corpus Christi, Texas, Loftin finished his career slashing .313/.371/.481 in 122 games played, starting 120 of those. He tallied 161 hits, 34 doubles, five triples
and 14 home runs. He drove home 92 runs and scored 114. He also made four appearances on the mound for the Bears and fielded .945.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For Baylor head coach Steve Rodriguez, Loftin is the 58<sup>th</sup> draft pick he has coached in his 17-year career and is his 11<sup>th</sup> player drafted during his time
at the helm in Waco. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Baylor has now had at least one player selected in 43 of 45 drafts since 1976. The selection of Loftin gives the Bears 147 total draft picks in program
history. </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
<span style="background:white"> </span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">-baylorbears.com-<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#154734">Rachel Caton</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> | Associate Sports Information Director</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">O: 254-710-3784 | C: 254-652-2061</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D63F7A.7ADC0D50" alt="cid:image001.png@01D5070F.1E7C3CA0"></span></a><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>