Play in the rookie level Arizona League began on Saturday, June 20th. The fourteen team league plays its 56 game schedule in and around the Phoenix area at the spring training facilities of their parent major league clubs.

The AZL Dodgers play their home games at the Camelback Ranch complex shared by the parent Dodgers and Chicago White Sox.

The AZL Dodgers kicked off their season with a 9-6 win over the AZL White Sox on Saturday. The Dodgers scored early with six runs in the first two innings and then held off a late rally by the White Sox to come away with the victory.

The Dodgers roster presents an interesting mix of 11 players selected in the 2015 First Year Player Draft, 12 players who have moved up from the 2014 Dominican Summer League Dodgers and nine returnees from the 2014 AZL Dodgers.

Also on the roster are relief pitcher James Campbell who is on a rehab assignment and 18-year-old Caleb Ferguson who made his first appearance in professional baseball on Sunday since having Tommy John Surgery in May, 2014.

Another dimension added to the roster mix is its truly international flavor. Besides the influx of youngsters from the Dominican Summer League Dodgers, the AZL Dodgers have three players scouted and signed from Europe: 19-year-old pitcher Misja Harcksen from the Netherlands, 19-year-old pitcher Sven Schuller from Germany and 17-year-old outfielder Federico Giordani from Italy.

It should also be noted that Cuban shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena who has fallen out of favor with the Dodgers is also listed on the AZL Dodgers roster.

Three other names appear on the posted roster. Right-handed pitcher Danny Danielson who was drafted by the Dodgers in the seventh round of the 2007 First Year Player Draft is inexplicably on the restricted list while catcher Daniel Canellas is on the 60-day DL. The third player is third baseman Nick Sell.

Less than a minute after the final player was selected in the 2015 MLB First Year Player Draft, Nick Sell received a call from the Dodgers asking if he would accept a non-drafted free agent contract. Needless to say, he jumped at the opportunity. (Photo courtesy of pittsburghsportingnews.com)

Sell was not selected in the 2015 June Draft although one has to wonder why. With his dream of playing professional baseball front and center he approached the June draft with an expectation: “I was assuming I’d go during the third day,” Sell said.

His disappointment must have been overwhelming waiting three days through 40 rounds of the draft and not hearing his name called. However, he down played it: “ Yeah, I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get drafted,” Sell said.

Considering Sell had just one homer in his four-year career at North Allegheny High School it might not have been surprising that he was not drafted. He describes himself as an “underachiever” as a high school player who had not understood nor developed a work ethic.

After being accepted into the Seton Hill baseball program Sell underwent a transformation working to build up his body. Griffins coach Marc Marizzaldi when asked by Chuck Curti of TRIBLIVE Sports if he could foresee this type of production from Sell made reference to his physical development: “You hear about a lot of college athletes that have to grow into their body. With Nick, he needed to grow into his swing.”

The real transformation for Nick Sell came with his realization that the game – if he wanted to be successful at it – up until this point demanded more than he was willing to give. At Seton Hill be became a quick learner. “I definitely benefited from figuring out where the weight room was, that’s for sure,” Sell said. “I didn’t really work hard (in high school). It kind of clicked for me coming to college and seeing other guys and realizing that nothing is going to be handed to you.”

As a junior he hit .431 with 13 homers and 57 runs batted in while stealing 26. Named to the first-team All-America squads in 2014 by two publications he was one of seven non-Division I players on the Golden Spikes list.

In his senior year in 2015 Sell led the Griffins in batting average (.444), runs (65), hits (83), home runs (28) and RBIs (92). During his college career at Seton Hill he led the Griffins in hitting in three of four seasons and he finished with 59 career home runs and 242 RBIs. To cap off his career he was named the winner of the prestigious 2015 Tino Martinez Award, which is awarded to the most outstanding player in Division II. Martinez himself made the call to Sell on Monday, June 1st to personally congratulate him on winning the award.

Then came the draft and Sell was passed over by 30 major league teams. Seton Hill head coach Marizzaldi admitted that for whatever reason scouts’ interest in Sell was minimal although he could not fully understand it. He also acknowledged that it was a matter of the right guy seeing him on the right day.

Nick Sell’s disappointment at being passed over in the draft didn’t last long. Pitcher Jacob McDavid was the last selection in the 2015 draft. He was taken by the Angels with the 1215th pick. In less than a minute following McDavid’s announcement Sell received a phone call from the Dodgers asking him to sign a contract with them. In short order he flew to Glendale to sign a contract and begin his professional baseball career.

His college coach was delighted to see him get an opportunity to follow his dream: “He was a big reason why we reached the World Series (in 2014),” Marizzaldi said. “I’m just happy he’s getting the opportunity. I enjoyed coaching him because he wanted to be coached.”

In the end 23-year-old Nick Sell got what he wanted so badly. He just wanted a chance to play professional ball at whatever level or position that might be designated for him in an inaugural season.

On Saturday Sell got his first at bat as a professional when he was called upon to pinch hit in the eighth inning of the AZL Dodgers game with the White Sox. He promptly hit a home run to left center field making that all important first impression a great one.