Former Sharks sign with the pros

By Bella Giaquinto and Josh Leatherman

Aside from various record-breaking athletic achievements and exceptional program growth, the 2022-2023 season for NSU athletics brought two particular Sharks to the pros: Carlos Rey and Will Yoakum.

Carlos Rey, a 2021-2023 NSU baseball pitcher, was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 17th round of the 2023 MLB June Amateur Draft, 505th overall selection. Will Yoakum, a 2022-2023 NSU basketball player, is now playing overseas for SC Rasta Vechta second Team in BARMER 2. Basketball Bundesliga ProA.

While Rey and Yoakum play two different sports, they share the same love for NSU and commitment to their future athletic success.

“What I love the most about NSU is the winning tradition and the family setting. The community is very tight and being a part of that is something I take a lot of pride in,” Rey said.

Rey,a Hialeah native, started his baseball career at Miami Springs High School in 2016, where he accumulated 14 starts, 11-2 W-L, 67.0 innings pitched, 2.51 ERA, and 97 strikeouts. Rey brought his talent to NSU after graduating high-school, where he became the eighth pitcher to record 100+ strikeouts for NSU, First-Team All-SSC Pitcher, and SSC Pitcher of the Week on March 6.

“A lot of people underestimate the SSC because it isn’t Division 1, but the truth is, a lot of the teams that we play can compete at the highest level with those bigger D1 schools. The competition level within the SSC is incredibly high and feels similar to professional baseball,” Rey said.

Throughout Rey’s time at NSU, he learned many lessons and gained valuable experience which followed him into his professional career.

“The biggest lesson I learned was to embrace everything, both on and off the field. Memories and experiences are once in a lifetime,” Rey said.

Similar to Rey, Yoakum made valuable connections and grew substantially throughout his time at NSU.

“Being at NSU allowed me to meet incredible people who made my experience fun and easygoing. Not just my teammates, but the coaches, faculty, and trainers,” Yoakum said.

Yoakum, an Ohio-native, started his basketball career at Hayes High School in Delaware, starting 2013, achieving Delaware County Player of the Year as a senior averaging 19.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, along with two-time Ohio Division 1 All-District and All-Ohio Capital Conference.

After graduating from high school, Yoakum spent five years playing for West Liberty University, in West Virginia, where he became Division II Bulletin Freshman All-American, Mountain East Conference Freshman of the Year, First-Team All-MEC, and MEC Tournament MVP.

“I had a handful of Division II offers from around the area but chose West Liberty because I felt the up-tempo style of play fit my game the best. It was a great decision as I really enjoyed my time there,” Yoakum said.

In 2022, Yoakum transferred to NSU as a graduate student, where he was a leading contributer to NSU’s 2023 national championship season.

“I chose NSU because I knew I wouldn’t have to adapt too much, other than the warm weather, and I knew what to expect basketball wise with Coach Crutchfield,” Yoakum said.

Yoakum broke the NSU program scoring record totaling 727 points, finished sixth in Division II for points scored and led the country in three-point percentage. He also made Sunshine State Conference, South Region, and National Tournament MVP honors, Second-Team D2CCA All-American Honors, and Second-Team All-SSC.

Today, Yoakum is learning the new culture of playing professional basketball overseas in Germany.

“Basketball in Europe is very different. It’s very strategic with a lot of attention to detail. The teams here bring a lot of variety on the floor so we have to be able to react and adjust to different opponents every night,” Yoakum said.

For more information:

Will Yoakum basketball profile:

Carlos Rey MILB profile: