By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

GRANITE QUARRY — His family worked diligently to allow Cobb Hightower to enjoy every minute of his senior year at East Rowan and kept his draft prospects as under-the-radar as possible.

There were no trumpets blowing and no Facebook posts warning the world to get ready because Cobb was coming.

But Cobb, a shortstop who was picked in the third round by the San Diego Padres on Monday afternoon, knew in his head and his heart after the explosive fall season he put together with the South Charlotte Panthers that he was on the draft radar for at least a dozen teams. Maybe two dozen. He had no doubts he’d be drafted.

“The last tournament the Panthers played, the biggest one down in Jupiter, Florida, there were scouts there from every MLB team,” Hightower said. “The competition was the best of the best and I had one heck of a tournament. Eight or nine hits and played great in the field. From that time on, teams were constantly texting me. Those texts led to meetings at the house with my family. Teams were coming to the field to watch me take BP. Teams were coming to watch a lot of East Rowan’s games.”

Hightower wasn’t a first-day pick, but he was an early second-day pick.

“I got up Monday, took an online class for UNC summer school, and then I was watching the draft with family and friends,” Hightower said. “They started the third round at 2 p.m. Fifteen minutes later, the Padres called me and said, ‘Hey, get ready. You’re next.’ I was anxious, but the wait wasn’t long enough to get worried or nervous. It’s hard to describe exactly how I felt at that moment, but I can tell you it felt awesome. Best day ever.”

He was the 88th pick. That’s 88th in the country out of all the eligible college players as well as the graduating high school seniors. MLB’s recommended slot value for that pick is $852, 300.

While there will be some negotiating to do, it’s unlikely the Padres would have drafted Hightower that high unless they had already agreed on a ball-park figure for a signing bonus.

“I think that’s an accurate way to put it,” Hightower said. “The plan is to sign. We just have to get everything worked out.”

Both of Cobb’s parents — former Catawba baseball player, long-time coach and current East administrator Brian Hightower and former Wingate basketball player Addie Holbrook Hightower — have given their working lives to the school system. So that’s a substantial chunk of money for a 19-year-old to be able to bank. A UNC scholarship is meaningful and it’s something Hightower worked hard for, but the Padres are almost certain to pry him away from the Tar Heels.

Hightower could have predicted that the Padres would be the most likely team to call his name. Padres area scout Jake Koenig had attended a high percentage of East’s games.

“He probably saw 15 of our games,” Hightower said. “If you’d asked me who was the most likely team to draft me, it was definitely San Diego. They were really interested for a long time.”

Hightower turned in a monumental senior season that culminated in a 3A state championship for coach Brett Hatley and the East Rowan Mustangs. As a senior, Hightower batted .462 with a state record 62 runs scored, 48 RBIs, 10 doubles, and nine homers. He won four games on the mound, while making his high school debut as a relief pitcher.

He won the Mark Norris Memorial Award as Rowan County Player of the Year. He was South Piedmont Conference Player of the Year. He was the North Carolina Coaches Association’s 3A Player of the Year and Prep Baseball Report’s NC Player of the Year.

He ended his four-year varsity career with 163 hits, 123 RBIs, 31 doubles, 17 homers, 156 runs, 55 stolen bases and 68 walks with only 29 strikeouts. He’s been All-State three times.

Hightower (6-0, 180) bats right-handed. He doesn’t have electrifying tools, but he has excellent bat speed and good running speed. In the field, he’s smart, sure-handed and strong-armed.

A few East Rowan players have signed with MLB teams straight out of high school.

The most recent was pitcher Joe Peeler, a late-round pick in 2015.

The most famous was Cal Hayes Jr., a third-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2002. Hayes signed for $400,000.

A number of East players have been drafted after three years of college, including pitcher Bobby Parnell, Hayes’ high school classmate. Hayes was a ninth-round pick out of Charleston Southern in 2005 and made it to the major leagues.

Ike Freeman (UNC), Craige Lyerly (Catawba) and Spencer Steedley (Charlotte) are other recent East Rowan Mustangs who were drafted during or after stellar college careers.

Hightower isn’t a San Diego fan or a fan of any particular team. But the player he likes to watch play the most is Kansas City’s young shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

The Padres like to draft high school players. Their first two picks were high school left-handed pitchers.