BALTIMORE, Md. – Illinois starting pitcher Cody Sedlock signed a professional contract with the Baltimore Orioles and will forgo his final year of eligibility to join the team's minor league system, the Orioles announced Friday. Sedlock was drafted in the first round with the No. 27 overall pick and signed for the slot value of $2,097,200, according to Jim Callis of MLB.com.
Sedlock gave Illinois two straight years with a first-round pick after Tyler Jay went No. 6 overall last season. The Fighting Illini are the first Big Ten team to have first-round selections in consecutive years since Purdue in 1992 and 1993.
Sedlock set Illinois' single-season strikeout record in 2016 after transitioning to a starting pitcher after spending his first two years at Illinois in the bullpen. The Sherrard, Illinois, and Alleman High School product came to Champaign as a two-way player before becoming just a pitcher during the fall of his freshman season.
Sedlock added weight to his 6-4 frame and velocity at Illinois after going undrafted out of high school. He features a 92-95 MPH fastball and four-pitch mix, which includes a Major League caliber slider.
"The Orioles are getting an outstanding young man in Cody Sedlock," said Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb after Sedlock was drafted. "Cody's work, on and off the field, have made him deserving of a first-round pick. It has been impressive to watch his development on the mound and in the weight room over the past three years; he's a great competitor. I really respect him as a person and for what he did for our program."
Sedlock was the first Fighting Illini drafted this year and one of five moving on to the minor leagues this summer. Illinois has had 13 draft picks in the last two seasons and 33 under 11-year head coach Dan Hartleb.
