Columbus Crew SC today selected four players in the opening rounds of the 2016 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, with the First and Second Rounds held at the Baltimore Convention Center. The Black & Gold selected Florida Gulf Coast midfielder Rodrigo Saravia (pronounced: suh-RAH-vee-ah) in the First Round (19th overall) as well as Cal Poly midfielder Chase Minter (21st overall), Charlotte forward Kyle Parker (31st overall) and Wheaton forward Marshall Hollingsworth (41st overall) in the Second Round.
“We added depth and we added players that match our style of play,” said Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. “Overall, we are pleased with the draft. All four players selected today are high-character individuals and match the positional profiles that we were looking for. It is a testament to our college scouting and training programs led by Assistant Coach Pat Onstad.”
Saravia, 22, was Columbus' First Round selection (19th overall). A midfielder, he played four seasons at Florida Gulf Coast, making 67 appearances (65 starts) with two goals and seven assists. Born and raised in Guatemala City, Guatemala, he has trained with the senior Guatemalan National Team as well as at the Under-23 and Under-20 levels. In 2015, Saravia was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year as well as being named First Team All-Atlantic Sun Conference for the second consecutive season. He helped FGCU win its fourth consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season championship in 2014.
HEAR FROM SPORTING DIRECTOR AND HEAD COACH GREGG BERHALTER AS WELL AS ALL FOUR CREW SC DRAFT CHOICES: http://bit.ly/CrewSC2016SuperDraftAudio
Minter, 23, was selected in the Second Round (21st overall). Over four seasons at Cal Poly, he made 77 appearances (67 starts), recording 16 goals and 21 assists. He is tied for the all-time assists leader at Cal Poly. Additionally, he notched a career-best seven goals in each of the 2014 and 2015 seasons. He earned a Senior CLASS Award in 2015 and was named First Team All-Big West Conference in both 2014 and 2015.
Parker, 22, was born in Columbus and scored 34 goals with 15 assists over four seasons at Charlotte, where he made 78 appearances (60 starts). Chosen by the Black & Gold in the Second Round (31st overall), he registered a career-best 12 goals during his senior season in 2015, where he was named as a Second Team NSCAA All-American. He also earned the Conference USA Offensive MVP Award for the second consecutive year.
Hollingsworth, 22, participated in Crew SC's College Combine at MAPFRE Stadium ahead of his selection by the Black & Gold in the Second Round (41st overall). He made 92 appearances for Wheaton over his four seasons with the Thunder, making 85 starts. He scored 45 goals and added 21 assists for his collegiate career, including a 22-goal season in 2015, which ranked seventh in program history for single-season tallies.
FAST FACTS ON ALL FOUR CREW SC DRAFT CHOICES:http://bit.ly/CrewSC2016SuperDraftFastFacts
The 2016 MLS SuperDraft resumes with the Third and Fourth Rounds, conducted via League conference call on Tuesday, January 19. The Black & Gold begin their preseason with entrance physicals and testing on January 22 before heading to Lakewood Ranch, Florida for their first camp from January 23 - February 5. After that camp, Crew SC trains at SuperKick in Powell from February 8-12 before departing to participate in the Desert Diamond Cup from February 15-27. The Black & Gold begin their 21st season on Sunday, March 6 at Portland and return home for the Opening Match at MAPFRE Stadium on Saturday, March 12 against Philadelphia. Information on Crew SC Season Ticket Memberships in 2016 can be found at http://bit.ly/2016CrewSCSTM.
TRANSACTIONS: Crew SC selects Florida Gulf Coast midfielder Rodrigo Saravia in the First Round (19th overall), Cal Poly midfielder Chase Minter in the Second Round (21st overall), Charlotte forward Kyle Parker in the Second Round (31st overall) and Wheaton forward Marshall Hollingsworth in the Second Round (41st overall) of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft on January 14, 2016
Name: Rodrigo Saravia (suh-RAH-vee-ah)
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 170
Born: February 22, 1993 in Guatemala City, Guatemala
Hometown: Guatemala City, Guatemala
Citizenship: Guatemala
Drafted: Selected in the First Round (19th overall) in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft on January 14, 2016
Previous Experience: Florida Gulf Coast University (2012-2015)
Name: Chase Minter
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 150
Born: August 19, 1992 in Rowlett, Texas
Hometown: Heath, Texas
Citizenship: United States
Drafted: Selected in the Second Round (21st overall) in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft on January 14, 2016
Previous Experience: California Polytechnic State University (2012-2015)
Name: Kyle Parker
Position: Forward
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 155
Born: December 17, 1993 in Columbus, Ohio
Hometown: Marvin, North Carolina
Citizenship: United States
Drafted: Selected in the Second Round (31st overall) in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft on January 14, 2016
Previous Experience: University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2012-2015)
Name: Marshall Hollingsworth
Position: Forward
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 160
Born: August 6, 1993 in Libertyville, Illinois
Hometown: Libertyville, Illinois
Citizenship: United States
Drafted: Selected in the Second Round (41st overall) in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft on January 14, 2016
Previous Experience: Wheaton College (2012-2015)
