Even after getting eliminated in regional play and seeing their season come to a close last weekend, Indiana Baseball is still winning.
Throughout this week’s MLB Draft which spanned from Monday through Wednesday, the Hoosiers saw a school record 10 players come off the board. Indiana had the most draft picks of any Big Ten school and is tied for the fourth most draft picks nationally for the 2019 draft.
Compared to a year ago in the 2018 MLB Draft, Indiana saw only four players get drafted.
Results
For 2019, the Hoosiers selected were as follows:
- Round 2 - #57 overall: Matt Gorski (Jr. OF) to the Pittsburgh Pirates
- Round 6 - #182 overall: Andrew Saalfrank (Jr. LHP) to the Arizona Diamondbacks
- Round 6 - #187 overall: Tanner Gordon (Jr. RHP) to the Atlanta Braves
- Round 15 - #444 overall: Matt Lloyd (Sr. UT) to the Cincinnati Reds
- Round 23 - #680 overall: Pauly Milto (Sr. RHP) to the Chicago White Sox
- Round 36 - #1077 overall: Scotty Bradley (Jr. IF) to the Toronto Blue Jays
- Round 36 - #1080 overall: Cam Beauchamp (Jr. LHP) to the Philadelphia Phillies
- Round 37 - #1116 overall: Cole Barr (So. IF) to the Seattle Mariners
- Round 40 - #1204 overall: Elijah Dunham (So. OF) to the Pittsburgh Pirates
- Round 40 - #1207 overall: Cade Bunnell (Sr. IF) to the Atlanta Braves
What it means for Indiana
With 10 players coming off the board from IU, there could be significant changes to the starting lineup and pitching rotation.
The only players who are guaranteed to definitely leave for the professional ranks are Lloyd, Milto, and Bunnell, all of whom have completed their senior seasons and hence all of their NCAA eligibility.
A week we will never forget.#IUBase x #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/BqoIuTefJN
— Indiana Baseball ⚾️ (@IndianaBase) June 6, 2019
Even with seven players eligible to return to school, it is expected that Gorski signs with the Pirates and it is likely that Saalfrank and Gordon do end up signing with the Diamondbacks and Braves, respectively, due to the three being drafted earlier on.
For Bradley, Beauchamp, and Dunham, they could go either way, but with all of them being drafted in the last five rounds, it is likely they return to school. As of Thursday evening, Barr had already announced his intent to return to Bloomington in the fall:
I am incredibly proud and blessed for the @Mariners to have picked me yesterday in the draft. This is a dream I have had since I was 6 years old. With that being said, I will be coming back to Indiana to win more championships and continue my growth. @JeffMercer54 https://t.co/M8pwh2B00x
— CB (@colebarrr) June 6, 2019
Though for Beauchamp, he was removed from Indiana’s roster late in the season, so his future remains unclear.
Looking ahead, it looks as if Indiana could have a brand new weekend starting rotation with Milto, Gordon, and Saalfrank all drafted. Sophomore Tommy Sommer and freshman Gabe Bierman will be in prime contention for the Friday and Saturday starting spots. The Sunday slot will be a bit of a wildcard and a competition between many bullpen guys who had limited appearances this year.
Just goes to show where this program is headed. The Hoosiers are in great hands!! Also I can’t thank the @Reds enough for the opportunity and can’t wait to get after it!! https://t.co/wLf7KZc86L
— Matt Lloyd (@mlloyd07) June 5, 2019
Based on the IU players expected to go pro, the only hole for position players that would be needed to fill for the starting lineup would be first base to replace Lloyd. Should Bradley not sign with the Blue Jays, he will likely take over that spot.
Additionally, IU didn’t see senior catcher Ryan Fineman selected in the draft, but they will need to fill that void with both him and backup and senior catcher Wyatt Cross graduated. Junior college transfer Hunter Combs of John A. Logan College and incoming freshman Brant Voth of Simi Valley High School (CA) are expected to contend for the starting spot.
Hometown cooking?
Should Gorski stay with the Pirates organization long enough and make his way to the AAA level, he will get a chance to play for the Indianapolis Indians, the Pirates AAA affiliate and Gorski’s hometown pro team. Gorski graduated from Hamilton Southeastern High School of Fishers, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis.
2019 Indiana recruit, Reese Sharp, of University High School in Carmel, Indiana was drafted in the 23rd round by the San Francisco Giants. He will have the option of signing with the Giants or coming to IU where he’ll have to attend school for at least three years before becoming draft eligible again.
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Last updated Thursday 6/6 at 7:48 p.m.
