Holmen’s Kohlwey drafted by San Diego Padres

UW-L standout selected in 21st round of MLB draft

Holmen native Taylor Kohlwey was getting texts before he realized the San Diego Padres had taken him in the MLB draft.

Then, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse senior got the phone call from the Padres, who took him in the 21st round Saturday.

The 6-foot-3 outfielder, who finished his career with a 51-game hitting streak – second all-time in DIII – was the 624th pick in the draft. 

The 2015 American Baseball Coaches Association and D3Baseball.com player of the year, led the Eagles to back-to-back Division III College World Series – UW-L finished the runners-up in 2015 – leaving on top of the record books in multiple categories.

UW-L records
Single-season

• .485 batting average
• 96 hits (also No. 2 with 88 hits and No. 3 with 85)
• 76 runs
• 22 doubles

Career

• .447 batting average
• 227 hits
• 154 RBI
• 191 runs
• 58 doubles

The Padres also selected UW-Whitewater’s Lake Bachar in the fifth round. Kohlwey and Bachar never faced each other in 2016.

But, in 2015, Kohlwey was 0-for-3 – one of the few times in his career he went hitless – with a strikeout against Bachar, who got the 16-5 win April 12. Bachar pitched six innings, giving up five hits, five runs (three earned), while striking out seven and walking two.