The Vanguard University of Southern California baseball program started in 1977 and Tim Fortugno was their first player to make it to the Major League level.

So why does "Vanguard University of Southern California" not appear on the chart above? Because the school changed their name from Southern California College in 1999 and no major league players have yet come through the new school's name. Their website does provide a nice history of their baseball program, mentions both players above & predicts who might be their next major league ballplayer:

A Tradition of Excellence

The baseball team won the District III Championship in 1985 and 1987, and in 1985 they finished fourth in the nation at the NAIA Baseball World Series. Tim Fortugno and Jim Dedrick, both baseball alumni, advanced through the system to be major league pitchers. Vanguard finished the 2002 season with a Championship in the Region II Baseball Tournament and proceeded on to the NAIA Super Regionals where they missed advancing to the NAIA World Series by one win. In June of 2002, VU’s 1st-Team All-American, Chad Chop, was selected in the 6th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Montreal Expos. Chop could be the next VU baseball player to make it to the big leagues.

Source : Vanguard University of Southern California Website

Did you know that there are two (2) former Vanguard players who made it to "the show"? Send corrections or updates to Baseball Almanac.