The euphoria of being drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the third round with the 103^rd pick of Tuesday's Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft has quickly subsided for Richie Palacios.
 
He is already focused on the next step.

"Two hours after the draft ended, I was in the batting cage and getting prepared for the season," Palacios said Wednesday morning over the phone. "I still have a long way to go to reach my ultimate goal. It's a blessing to have one of my dreams come true of being drafted. I've worked hard for this goal since I was a kid."
 
Palacios had a low-key viewing party with only his parents and father's friend present at his home in New York. A few minutes before the rest of the world heard Palacios' name called at the draft, he was working with his advisor and negotiating details with Cleveland, who indicated they wanted to draft him. Once he agreed, Palacios' name was announced shortly before 2 p.m.
 
Even after returning from the batting cage, Palacios didn't have an elaborate celebration. Two of his friends visited Palacios. He also spent most of the evening returning numerous congratulatory text messages.
 
"My phone blew up more than it has before," Palacios said while laughing at the memory. "It took me a couple hours to respond to everybody who reached out to me. Everything has been pretty hectic, but it's been a lot of fun. This is a big step in my journey and seeing my name on the board was pretty awesome. I went speechless for a while."
 
Palacios joins his brother Josh, dad Richard and uncle Rey Palacios to get the call on Draft day. His brother was a 2016 fourth-round pick by the Blue Jays and currently plays in their farm system, while Richard made it to Triple-A with the Tigers and Rey spent parts of three seasons playing for Kansas City.
 
Palacios is the highest position player drafted in Towson history. He is the third-highest player drafted in Towson history. Left hander Chris Nabholz is the highest drafted player, going in the second round (49th overall) to the Montreal Expos in 1988, while left hander Chris Russ was taken by the Texas Rangers in the third round (94th overall) in 2000.
 
A lifelong New York Yankee fan, Palacios is excited to be part of the Indians organization. The Indians lost the World Series in 2016 and had the best record in the American League last season. The Indians are currently in first place in the American League Central.  
 
"I've been following the Indians and I am aware of their recent success," Palacios said. Watching the Indians lately has been enjoyable and they have a lot of young guys like (Jose) Rameriz and (Francisco) Lindor contributing to their success. It's great to see how they have developed through the Indians organization and succeed at the highest level. You can tell there's a lot of trust in their prospects. The Indians have been a great organization at developing their guys. I am extremely excited to be part of the Cleveland Indians in the near future."
 
Palacios won't know his specific destination under the draft is completed. He will sign his first contract in a few days and expects to know by Monday where he will begin his professional career.
 
Palacios was a Second-Team All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) selection after hitting .301 with 18 doubles, eight home runs, 31 RBIs and 56 runs scored. He also walked 52 times and stole 25 bases.
 
He is one of two players in Division I baseball with 50 walks, 50 runs scored and 25 stolen bases. Palacios also provide the most memorable moment of the Tigers season when he hit a walk-off grand slam to beat Hofstra 5-3 on March 31.
 
In his three seasons in a Tiger uniform, Palacios hit .323 with 38 doubles, eight triples, 19 home runs and 98 RBIs. He added 154 runs scored and stole 76 bases. He became the first player in school history to reach 200 hits in his junior season.
 
Palacios was a threat on the base paths his entire career as he set the single-season record for stolen bases in a season with 32 as a freshman. His 76 career stolen bases are also the most in program history.
 
"Towson helped me a lot," Palacios said. "Everybody was nice and treated me well. Being able to play Division I baseball was a blessing. We played some great competition, which helped me get better.
 
"I am thankful for all of the support of (former Towson head baseball coach Mike) Gottlieb, (current head coach Matt) Tyner and every single coach who has helped me in the slightest, whether it's physical, mentally, or providing life lessons."
 
Palacios also made sure to thank all of his coaches during his Towson career: Tanner Biagini, Miles Miller, Mickey Williard, Eric Franc, Scott Roane and Jon Karsos.
 
Tyner's minor league baseball background helped Palacios prepare for this moment. He provided plenty of wisdom, which helped Palacios enhance his overall game.
 
"To everybody that's helped me during my journey, I want to say thank you," Palacios said. "I couldn't have done this without anybody who was involved in my life. I want to thank my parents. My dad always threw me batting practice. My mom for always keeping me on my academic game. She made sure I was focused in the classroom so that I could stay eligible.
 
"It's extremely exciting to have my dreams come true. I know my work isn't done; It's actually just starting. It's gratifying to know that the hard work I have put in so far has paid off with this opportunity."