WALLA WALLA, Washington – Two former Walla Walla Sweets players took the next step toward professional baseball this weekend, as Albert Roblez and Cort MacDonald were selected in the 2026 MLB Draft.

Roblez, who pitched for the Sweets during the 2022 season following his time at UNLV, was selected by the San Diego Padres with the 485th overall pick in the 16th round. The right-hander made 12 appearances for Walla Walla, striking out 26 batters across 30 innings.

After his summer with the Sweets, Roblez continued his collegiate career at Long Beach State before finishing at Oregon State. During his lone season with the Beavers, he posted a 1.50 ERA, earned multiple All-American honors, and recorded 14 saves while holding opponents to a .173 batting average.

MacDonald, a member of the 2024 Sweets, was selected by the Colorado Rockies with the 554th overall pick in the 19th round. The Stanford outfielder appeared in 39 games for Walla Walla, batting .301 while going a perfect 15-for-15 on stolen base attempts. He also posted a perfect fielding percentage across 84 defensive chances.

MacDonald wrapped up his collegiate career at Stanford as a consistent contributor, batting .309 with 23 doubles, one triple and six home runs across 131 career games.

Roblez and MacDonald become the latest Sweets alumni to reach professional baseball, joining a growing list of former Walla Walla players who have gone on to play in affiliated baseball. The organization looks forward to following both players as they begin their professional careers and pursue the goal of one day joining fellow Sweets alumni Zach Penrod and Jarren Duran in the major leagues.