Prior to Tuesday's resumption of the 2019 Major League Draft, Levi Stoudt got a call informing him that the Seattle Mariners were prepared to draft him with their next pick. Around 1:40 p.m., the team fulfilled its declaration by selecting the pitcher with the 97th overall pick.

            "This is just the beginning," said Stoudt, a Marlborough Township resident, who said he expected to be selected between the third and fifth rounds. 

            The next morning, the Perkiomen School graduate agreed to a contract offer from the Mariners. He leaves for Arizona on Friday, according to his father Todd.

            "Decision made. He's playing for the Seattle Mariners organization!" Todd Stoudt wrote in a text message Wednesday.

            On Wednesday afternoon, Chris Kachmar, an East Greenville resident and graduate of Upper Perkiomen High School, was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 28th round.

            Earlier Wednesday morning, Todd Stoudt declined to disclose any financial details on his son's contract agreement. However, Levi Stoudt's draft slot – the 19th pick in the third round – has been assigned an approximate pick value of more than $591,000.

            Scott Hunter, the Mariners' director of amateur scouting, described Stoudt as a little bit of an untapped resource. "We really liked the things he had to offer in regards to delivery, arm action, mileage on his arm. There's big upside on him with a plus changeup," Hunter told the Seattle Times.

            The Lehigh University junior, will initially report to the team's Spring Training facility in Peoria, Az. From there, he could compete in the Arizona Rookie League or be assigned to the Mariners' Class A Short Season Affiliate in Everett, Wash.

            "For Levi, the talent and work ethic is definitely there," Lehigh University head coach Sean Leary said in a news release. "But I think his maturity, his poise, his body language on the mound, a lot of the things that are intangibles, he has higher grades on those things for myself and for the scouts that have watched him pitch."

            Stoudt – who teamed with Kachmar to pitch Perkiomen's American Legion baseball team to the 2015 Bux-Mont League title and a berth in the Region 2 Tournament – has the ideal demeanor on the mound and the ability to repeat his delivery, and avoid injuries, that should allow him to succeed in professional baseball, according to Panthers head coach Ken Baker.

            "Staying healthy is the name of the game," Baker said Tuesday afternoon.

            Prior to the restart of the draft Tuesday, Stoudt received a call from his advisor, who said the Mariners were 100 percent committed to drafting him with their next pick.

            The pitcher had a feeling the team might be interested since he worked out privately at their Spring Training facility one month earlier. He said he got good vibes from their coaching staff and front office personnel.

            A Second Team All-Patriot League selection this spring, Stoudt posted a 3-4 record with a 3.53 ERA. In 10 starts, he tossed three complete games,

            The Mountain Hawks ace recorded 69 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings pitched.

            Stoudt becomes the 13th player from Lehigh to be drafted by a big-league franchise and the highest drafted pitcher since Paul Hartzell (10th round, 1979) and player since Matt McBride (2nd, 2006).

            He is also the third player in three years, and sixth since 2001, with ties to Perkiomen School to be selected in the draft.

            Kachmar, as a senior at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn., went 9-3 with a 3.61 earned run average.