San Diego Padres select UWF, Tate baseball alum Darrien McDowell in sixth round of MLB Draft

A homegrown prospect through and through has been selected in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Darrien McDowell, a Tate alum who went on to have standout collegiate stints at both Pensacola State and the University of West Florida, was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the sixth round of the draft with the 180th overall pick. The selection's contract value is $342,300.

McDowell had an incredible first season with UWF after being named the 2024 Gulf South Conference Player of the Year, and earning All-American status by the NCBWA, D2Baseball and ABCA. He led all of Division II in home runs, total bases and slugging percentage, and became the UWF record-holder for career home runs (41), batting average (.400), on-base percentage (.517) and slugging percentage (.769).

In 2024, McDowell made starts in all 58 of the Argos' games, leading UWF to a 35-23 overall record (17-13 GSC). The Argos won the GSC championship over No. 3 Delta State, before making it to the Division II South Regional, falling to third-seeded Embry-Riddle in the championship game.

A three-year varsity player at Tate, McDowell posted a career .283 batting average with a senior season cut short in 2020 due to COVID-19, where he played just five games. McDowell went 39-for-138 in three years with eight doubles and three home runs, adding 29 runs and 26 RBIs.

McDowell becomes the first Tate alum to be drafted since 2019 when both Trey Lafleur and Branden Fryman were both taken in the 21st round of the draft. Fryman was drafted by the New York Mets, working his way up to triple-A Syracuse in 2023. Lafleur went on to play at both Ole Miss and Louisiana, and just finished a five-year collegiate career.

McDowell is the first UWF alum to be drafted since LeDarious Clark was drafted in 2015 by the Texas Rangers, and stuck in the minor leagues before playing two years of independent league baseball in 2021 and 2022. It is possible that, if McDowell doesn't sign with the Padres, he could return to UWF for one more season. But UWF head coach Mike Jeffcoat told other media outlets he doesn't expect McDowell to return to Spooner Field.

Ben Grieco is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) and via email at BGrieco@gannett.com.