SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State senior infielder Gunner Gouldsmith can hang on to all his green and gold gear after wrapping up his career with the Hornets, selected in the 19th round of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft by the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday.
Taken with the 556th overall pick, Gouldsmith became the first Hornet to be selected by the Athletics since outfielder Justin Higley was taken in the 13th round in 2013 and the is the eighth Sacramento State player overall to be selected by Oakland in program history.
Gouldsmith also becomes the 29th Hornet to be drafted or sign a professional contract under Head Coach Reggie Christiansen since 2011 and marks the 18th consecutive season that a Sacramento State baseball player has been drafted or signed dating back to 2007.
An All-Western Athletic Conference second team selection and one of 10 student-athletes named to the inaugural WAC All-Defensive Team in 2024, Gouldsmith played the last three seasons for the Hornets after transferring from Washington State, starting 118 of his 127 games with the Hornets and hitting .315 for his career.
The Reno, Nev., native hit a team-high .318 as a senior, scoring a career-high 37 runs to go with 78 hits, 13 doubles, four home runs, and driving in 38 while standing as the only player to start all 57 games on the year. He ranked fifth in the WAC in hits, third in plate appearances (280), tied for second in at-bats (245), and sixth in hits per game (1.37), while also leading the team with 20 multi-hit games.
A three-time WAC All-Academic Team selection, Gouldsmith also collected an 18-game hitting streak from Feb. 27 to March 26 that ranks tied for seventh on the school's all-time list, and added 5-for-5 performance at the plate against Stephen F. Austin on May 11 that ranks tied for fourth on the program's single-game chart.
He was also named the WAC Player of the Week on May 13 after hitting .556 (10-for-18) with four runs scored, four extra-base hits — including a pair of home runs, and 10 RBI in games against Nevada and the Lumberjacks.
SACRAMENTO STATE BASEBALL SELECTIONS BY THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS
1975 - Steve Necoechea
1980 - Dennis Stowe, John Bulleri
1981 - Gary Weinberger (23rd Round / 585th Overall)
1991 - Tim Doyle (6th Round / 178th Overall)
2009 - Blake Crosby (42nd Round / 1,263rd Overall)
2013 - Justin Higley (13th Round / 401st Overall)
2024 - Gunner Gouldsmith (19th Round / 556th Overall)
