Missoula Adds First Round Pick Toussaint
MISSOULA, MONT. - The Arizona Diamondbacks and Missoula Osprey have announced the addition of the sixteenth overall selection in this June's draft, Touki Toussaint, to the Osprey roster. Toussaint joins Missoula from the AZL where he went 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA in six appearances and four starts. He will make his first start on the road during Missoula's seven-game road stretch and should make two starts during Missoula's next homestand, which begins August 12.
The D-backs selected Toussaint, a 6' 2", 195-pound right-handed pitcher out of the Coral Springs Christian Academy in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Just 17 years old, Toussaint features a mid-90 mph fastball that tops off at 97 mph. Toussaint also employs a strong plus curveball and a mid-to-upper-80 mph changeup. Baseball America touted Toussaint as its 12th ranked prospect in this year's draft, and second in the state of Florida behind Minnesota draft choice Nick Gordon.
This spring he led the Crusaders of Coral Springs Christian Academy to a state final four with an 8-2 record on the mound. Toussaint registered 104 strikeouts with just 27 walks on the year in addition to an impressive 1.22 ERA as a senior. He tallied four complete games out of his 63.1 innings pitched. Toussaint was named the Miami Herald's Class 5A-2A Pitcher of the Year in 2014 and the Sun-Sentinel Player of the Year in 2013.
Toussaint spent a handful of his childhood years in Haiti after his birth in Pembroke Pines. His family later returned to Florida in 2004 and attended Coral Springs Christian Academy starting his sophomore year. Baseball is a recent love for Toussaint, with most of his success coming over the past couple of years. Baseball America stated that, "Toussaint might have the least baseball experience of any top draft prospect, yet arguable the highest ceiling of any high school pitcher."
Ray Montgomery, the Arizona Diamondbacks Director of Scouting, said of his selection, "I think the person may outweigh the talent. He's a very good athlete that can handle the bat. He plays shortstop when he doesn't pitch. I do like the overall athleticism and I like that he played other sports. I really like that he wasn't involved in one sport his whole life. He's a really worldly kid."
Toussaint initially committed to the University of Miami but later rescinded his commitment to the Hurricanes and pledged to Vanderbilt University.
In a corresponding move, Justin Williams was promoted to Class A South Bend and leaves Missoula as the Osprey hit streak record holder at 28 games.
The Osprey return home for a seven-game home stretch on Tuesday, August 12. Tickets for all Osprey games are available at the MSO Hub Box Office, by phone at (406) 543-3300 and online at MissoulaOsprey.com.