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That’s the choice Nogales High School shortstop Demetrio Crisantes faces after the D-backs selected him in the seventh round of the MLB draft Monday.

Crisantes signed with the UA in the fall and had a standout senior season for the Apaches. He hit .485 with seven home runs, 15 doubles, four triples and 26 RBIs in 99 at-bats. Prep Baseball Report named him the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Player of the Year.

Crisantes’ commitment to the UA has been pinned to the top of his Twitter feed. But the Diamondbacks have given Crisantes and his family a lot to think about. The 198th pick in the draft carries a slot value of $247,000. Crisantes tweeted Monday: “Thank you for this opportunity ... GO DBACKS.�

“The Diamondbacks are going to have to hit that number,� UA coach Chip Hale told ESPN 1490. “If they don’t get there, then you’re a Wildcat.�

“Either way, whether he signs or goes and plays at the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, it’s a win-win situation,â€� Nogales coach OJ Favela said. “If Plan A was the draft and Plan B was the U of A, you can’t really go wrong.â€�

The vast majority of players picked during the first two days of the draft sign with the teams that select them. The deadline to sign is Aug. 1.

Ian Rebhan, the Diamondbacks’ director of amateur scouting, lauded Crisantes’ upside. He doesn’t turn 18 until Sept. 5.

The Diamondbacks wouldn’t have drafted him if they didn’t think they could sign him.

“You do a lot of work scouting the player, you get to that point where he is on your board and we kind weigh all our options,� Rebhan said. “At that point, we really valued Demetrio’s total tool set.�

No members of the 2022 Wildcats were picked during Day 2. Several, including outfielders Tanner O’Tremba and Mac Bingham, could be selected on Day 3.

Rounds 3-10 took place Monday. Rounds 11-20 are scheduled for Tuesday.

‘Head and shoulders above’

The Oakland Athletics didn’t take ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s Daniel Susac in the first round Sunday because they needed a catcher. They drafted him because they believed he was the best player available.

“We really felt like he was head and shoulders above anybody else that was left on the board at that point in time,� A’s scouting director Eric Kubota said on a conference call with reporters. “We’ve been able to see Daniel a lot over the years. We think he is a guy who can impact the game both defensively and offensively. We really liked the offensive potential. We think he has the chance to be a very good defensive catcher.�

Susac, taken with the 19th pick after back-to-back All-America campaigns at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, joins an organization that’s stocked with catching talent. The Athletics’ top two prospects, per , are catchers: Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom. Both are former first-round picks. In addition, current starting catcher Sean Murphy is 27 and under team control through 2025.

“I feel like we can never have enough good players,� Kubota said. “We do see him (Susac) as a catcher. We think he’s a very good catcher.�

Susac has been playing the position since he was a youth, following the lead of his oldest brother, Andrew, who played in the major leagues with four clubs from 2014-20. Daniel grew to 6-foot-4, which is tall for a catcher. But he caught almost every game in which he played at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, and his arm is considered MLB-caliber.

When asked by Bay Area reporters to describe himself as a player, Susac talked about his makeup before mentioning any physical attributes.

“I would say the best word to describe me is ‘leader,’ � Susac said. “That’s just the way I try to embody myself as a player. I’m not only going to try and get the most out of myself, I’m going to try and get the most out of all my teammates.�

Inside pitch

Two ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ State players were selected Monday. Cleveland took outfielder Joe Lampe in the third round (No. 92 overall). The Dodgers grabbed shortstop Sean McLain in the fifth round (165).

Former UA left-hander Ian Churchill was picked in the 10th round by the Blue Jays. Churchill transferred to the University of San Diego last year. He posted a 3-2 record with four saves and 57 strikeouts in 54 innings for the Toreros.

Butler right-hander Derek Drees is planning to transfer to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. Drees, a 6-foot-6 reliever, was named second-team All-Big East this past season after going 4-3 with four saves and a 1.27 ERA. He struck out 46 batters in 35 1/3 innings.

Former UA first baseman/DH Noah Turley is transferring to Oklahoma State. Turley batted .226 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 164 at-bats for the Wildcats in 2022.

Two former UA pitchers, right-hander Chandler Murphy and lefty Javyn Pimental, are transferring to Missouri.