MLB Draft: Cleveland Guardians select Australian second baseman Travis Bazzana with top MLB draft pick

Australian second baseman Travis Bazzana was taken by the Cleveland Guardians with the No. 1 pick in Major League Baseball's amateur draft on Sunday night, and three players from Wake Forest were selected in the top 10.

A former cricket, rugby and soccer player who came to the United States to play baseball for Oregon State, the 21-year-old hit .407 with 28 homers and 66 RBIs this season. He became the first Australian and first second baseman taken No. 1.

"An opportunity to make an impact on a lot of baseball players and a lot of people back home in Australia, and hopefully change the narrative for baseball there," Bazzana said.

Bazzana hit .360 over three seasons at Oregon State with 45 homers, 165 RBIs, 180 walks and 66 steals.

Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said the team made its decision Sunday.

"He recognizes pitches exceedingly well," Antonetti said. "He knows the strike zone, makes good swing decisions, when he does choose to swing makes elite-level contact. And I think what's really grown in Travis' game over the past year or so is the ability to add impact and drive the ball."

Bazzana watched the draft from Oregon State in the rooms where he had been recruited, joined by his parents, brothers and aunts along with coaches and mentors.

"There's people that have flown all the way from Australia, which is not cheap, nor is it an easy flight," he said.

He was inspired by Ryan Rowland-Smith and Trent Oeltjen, Australians who had reached MLB.

"They really helped me believe and see this path and get an opportunity at Oregon State, and kind of helped me set no limits on myself," he said.

Once in college, there wasn't any pressure to produce.

"No one really expected anything from the