UC Santa Barbara
No. 4 Overall Selection in 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft (Texas Rangers)
First Pitcher Selected in 2015 Draft
First UCSB Player to be Drafted in First Round
Highest-Ever UCSB Draft Selection
2014, 2015 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List
2014 All-Big West Second Team
2015 All-Big West First Team
2015 West All-Region First Team
2015 D1Baseball.com Midseason Pitcher of the Year
2015 Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist
2015 Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American
2015 Perfect Game Preseason All-American
2015 Baseball America Preseason All-American
2015 Louisville Slugger All-American
2015 D1Baseball All-American
2015 NCBWA All-American
Career Stats: 46 apps, 14 starts, 2 CG, 10-6, 2.16 ERA, 149.2 IP, 158 K, 47 BB, 104 H, 42 R, 36 ER
2015: After a superlative sophomore season as UCSB’s closer, was ultimately named the Gauchos’ Friday starter before this season ... Was named a Preseason All-American by three different outlets, but as a reliever ...Ended the season with an 8-5 record, a 2.26 ERA, 111 strikeouts, and 28 walks allowed in 103.1 IP ... Tied for the Big West lead in wins ... His 5.75 hits allowed per nine innings leads the Big West and ranks 11th nationally ... Other notable ranks: WHIP (0.91, 16th nationally), strikeouts (111, 22nd nationally), ERA (2.26, 63rd nationally), K/9 (9.67, third in Big West) ... Picked up Midseason Pitcher of the Year honors from D1Baseball.com ... Is considered a strong candidate to be the No. 1 overall selection in this year’s MLB First Year Player Draft, and a virtual lock to go in the top-5 ... Became UCSB’s first ever Golden Spikes Award semifinalist ... Is only UCSB’s second ever Golden Spikes nominee (Joey Epperson, 2014) ... Missed his scheduled start vs. Cal Poly on Apr. 17 as a precaution after sustaining a minor trap injury ... Didn’t allow an earned run in his first two starts of the season, going 2-0 with 17 K’s against seven hits in 13.2 innings against BYU and Kentucky ... Allowed zero earned runs in five of 13 starts and two runs or less in nine of those 13 ... Standout outings include seven hitless innings with six K’s against Hawai’i on Apr. 24, seven shutout innings with 10 punchouts against Sac St. on Mar. 6, and a complete game, three-hit, 0 ER effort against Long Beach State on Mar. 27 ... Had 8+ strikeouts in nine of 13 starts (69%) ... In single season UCSB history, recorded the sixth-most strikeouts and eighth-lowest ERA (50+ IP qualifier) ... Has allowed just three HRs in his career, one coming off Kris Bryant as a freshman in 2013 ... Had a 0.5 flyout-groundout ratio, by far the best among UCSB regulars.
2014: With Dylan Hecht starting the year in the rotation, Tate grabbed the closer's role and made it his own ... For the year, went 2-1 with a 1.45 ERA, 12 saves, 46 strikeouts, 17 walks, seven earned runs against, a .205 BAA, and 32 hits against in 43.1 innings pitched over 28 appearances ... Was named to the All-Big West Second Team and the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List, awarded to collegiate baseball's top relief pitcher ... Led the team in ERA, saves, and hits per nine innings (6.7), while finishing just one strikeout behind Justin Jacome for the team lead despite pitching 36 less innings ... His 12 saves were the second most in single-season program history and after his sophomore year he needs just five more to become UCSB's all-time leader in career saves ... For the season, ranked second in the Big West in saves, third in appearances, second in games finished (26), third in relief appearances ... Among all pitchers in Big West play, ranked seventh in batters struck out looking (11), second in saves (seven), second in appearances (15), first in games finished (15) ... Was one of five Gaucho pitchers to average over a strikeout per inning ... Didn't allow a triple or home run the entire year, and surrendered just four doubles ... Stranded 20 of his 25 inherited runners (80%) ... Didn't allow an earned run through his first 13 appearances (18.1 innings) and allowed an earned run in just one of his first 24 outings (36.2 innings) ... Provided three innings of shutout relief and earned the win in contests against Fresno State (Mar. 25) and Cal State Bakersfield (May 5) ... Seven of his saves required four outs or more ... Had a season-high five strikeouts in three different outings; he struck out five UC Riverside batters in just two innings on Apr. 26 ... Had an ERA under 1.00 until the penultimate game of the season ... Had he pitched 6.2 more innings and qualified, he would have recorded the second-lowest ERA in program history ... Didn't yield a hit in nine of his appearances ... Over the summer, made 11 appearances for the USA Collegiate National Team, locking down three saves on a 0.79 ERA while allowing seven hits and striking out seven in 11.1 innings pitched ... The last three Gauchos to suit up for Team USA – Chris Valaika, Barry Zito, and Erik Johnson – all reached the Major Leagues ... Was named the No. 5 prospect on the USCNT by MLB.com.
To read a Q&A with Dillon about his experience with Team USA, click here.
2013: In his Freshman season for the Gauchos, appeared in four games to pitch 3.0 innings ... Recorded one strikeout and one runner caught stealing ... Allowed three runs for a 9.00 ERA.
High School: Pitched for head coach Geoff Ranney earning three letters for the Wolfpack of Claremont High School … Earned Second Team All-Sierra League his senior year … Also earned an Athletic Academic Award … Played his summer ball for the Urban Youth Academy.
Personal: Born on May 1, 1994 in Harbor City, Calif. to his parents Anthony and Lenora Tate … Currently resides in Claremont, Calif. … Has two older brothers: David and Douglas … Plans to major in communication … Favorite team is the Boston Red Sox … Favorite athlete is David Price … Favorite movie is Friday … Favorite hobby is playing ping pong … Favorite TV shows are Blue Mountain State and The Boondocks … Also recruited by UCLA and Oral Roberts.
