So when the Mariners saw Sears still on the board during their 11th-round selection to open the final day of the Draft, they picked up the South Carolina native, and are eager to see what he can bring to professional baseball after he flies to their Peoria, Ariz., facility on Friday to take a physical exam and likely sign a contract to begin his journey.
"He's a strike-throwing machine," Mariners amateur scouting director Scott Hunter said. "He's got one of those fastballs that guys don't pick up. He has a little lower slot, three quarters, and the ball comes out of his hand with life, and sneaks up on hitters.