Evan White, a great-nephew of late Hillsboro resident Kirby White, was selected by the Seattle Mariners with the number 17 selection in the MLB draft that took place last month.

Kirby White, Jan. 3, 1884 to April 22, 1943, was an MLB pitcher from 1909-1911 for the Boston Doves and Pittsburgh Pirates amassing a 17-25 record with a 3.24 ERA in just over 330 innings of work. He was a lifelong resident of Hillsboro and was buried at the Hillsboro Cemetery upon his death.

Evan White, a native of Gahanna, Ohio, attended the University of Kentucky, where as a junior in 2017 he helped lead the Wildcats to a 43-23 record and the programs’ first ever Super Regional where the team was swept by the in-state rival Louisville Cardinals. Playing at first base for the Wildcats, Evan White was awarded the Rawlings Gold Glove for the second consecutive year, honoring him as the top defensive player at his position in college baseball.

“It has been a very emotional several days,” Evan White said, according to the Columbus Dispatch. “My team was so special and it was an incredible season to be part of, even though we didn’t get our goal (of the College World Series). I went from the disappointment of losing the Super to now. This is absolutely insane. I don’t think I’ve been this nervous in my life. I don’t think I’m going to get a lot of sleep.”

As a senior at Gahanna Lincoln High School, Evan White was named the All-Ohio Baseball Player of the Year in 2014. He also earned first-team all-state, all-region, and all-district honors as a junior and senior when he led the team to the regional championship.

Evan White’s baseball ancestry is not just tied to a man that played in the Majors over 100 years ago. His uncle, Brooks White, was selected directly out of high school by the Cincinnati Reds in round 21 of the 1980 MLB June Amateur draft. Brooks White played one season of Minor League baseball for the Reds’ A-level affiliate the Eugene Emeralds appearing in three games for the team.

With the Mariners selecting Evan White in the first round of the MLB Draft the expectations for him are high. He is currently playing for Seattle’s A-League affiliate, the Everett Aquasox of the Northwest League, after signing his first contract in the Majors on June 18.

Reach Ryan Applegate at 937-402-2572, or on Twitter @RCApplegate89.