​MADERA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A San Joaquin Memorial Alumni’s baseball dream materialized Sunday when he was selected 254th overall by the Colorado Rockies in the MLB Draft.Tanner Sagouspe at Texas Christian UniversityAny kid playing Little League baseball locally would probably say that they have a dream to go pro and play in the MLB. Such a small percentage of people even get a chance to try.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“All I was hoping for was an opportunity,” said Tanner Sagouspe.The opportunity came to life for Tanner Sagouspe last Sunday after being selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 9th round of the Major League Draft. Sagouspe was raised in Madera and attended San Joaquin Memorial High School.Sunday morning around 7 a.m. Sagouspe got a call from his agent telling him that several teams were interested and were looking to draft him today. The Madera native was at home with his family preparing to hear his name called, and then the moment came around 10 a.m.Tanner Sagouspe and his parents.“Oh my God, you just got picked by the Colorado Rockies,” Sagouspe said his mom said this when it was announced on TV.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAn immense amount of joy and relief overwhelmed the draft prospect and his family.“I was like, what! I didn’t even know that they were interested; I felt so grateful and blessed,” said the Madera native when recalling what it was like receiving the news.Sagouspe was absolutely thrilled that he got to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime moment with his loved ones. At that moment, the baseball player knew that all the sacrifices that he made and his family made were well worth it.“One of the first things that came to mind was that one of their minor league teams is the Fresno Grizzlies; I could be playing at home,” said the Rockies’ draft pick.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSagouspe is set to fly out to the Rockies’ Spring training facility in Arizona Thursday. On Friday, the draft pick is supposed to sign his contract, and then his professional journey begins.You could say his baseball journey began at the baseball diamonds at Lions Town and Country Park in Madera. You might even remember the sound of the bat as Sagouspe launched a ball over the fence in Madera leagues, but he is now on the mound as a pitcher.“It’s been a crazy last five years of college,” said Sagouspe.Tanner Sagouspe pitching at Cal Poly.Some of the greatest challenges in his journey occurred in college. The athlete was recruited to play college baseball as an outfielder at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. After some injuries and hitting troubles, the Madera native had to leave hitting behind.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSagouspe recalls this being a tough decision, but he was up for the challenge. The baseball player put all his effort into becoming a pitcher.The athlete tallied 120 strikeouts in four years at Cal Poly and added 43 more after his transfer to Texas Christian Universi