@IlliniBaseball Players Set for MLB Draft
June 8, 2016 | Baseball
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Several Illinois baseball players are preparing for this weekend's Major League Baseball draft, including projected first-round pick Cody Sedlock. The MLB Draft starts Thursday with the first two rounds and continues with rounds 3-10 on Friday and 11-40 on Saturday.
| 2016 MLB Draft Schedule | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Rounds | Start Time (CT) | Coverage |
| Thursday, June 9 | 1-2 (Lottery Round B) | 6 p.m. | TV: MLB Network |
| Friday, June 10 | 3-10 | 12 p.m. | MLB.com |
| Saturday, June 11 | 11-40 | 11 a.m. | MLB.com |
Sedlock, a Baseball America first team All-American, is one of the top collegiate arms in this year's draft. He features a fastball that sits around 94 MPH and also throws a slider, curveball and changeup. Sedlock was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, a unanimous All-Big Ten first team pick and set Illinois's single-season strikeout record with 116.
| Sedlock Projections | |
|---|---|
| Publication | Projection |
| Baseball America | Round: 1 Pick: 17 (Houston Astros) |
| MLB.com (Mayo) | Round: 1 Pick: 17 (Houston Astros) |
| MLB.com (Callis) | Round: 1 Pick: 17 (Houston Astros) |
| ESPN | Round: 1 Pick: 20 (Los Angeles Dodgers) |
| CBS Sports | Round: 1 Pick: 23 (St. Louis Cardinals) |
| Perfect Game | Round: 1 Pick: 27 (Baltimore Orioles) |
| Bleacher Report | Round: 1 Pick: 31 (New York Mets) |
Last year, Illinois had a program-record nine players drafted, including No. 6 overall pick Tyler Jay. Three players – Jason Goldstein, Adam Walton and Nick Blackburn – elected to return to Illinois after being selected. Seniors Goldstein and Blackburn will look to continue their careers in professional ball, while Walton, a redshirt-junior, could still elect to return to school if he's drafted again this year.
Cody Sedlock
• Projected first-round pick
• All-America first team (Baseball America)
• Big Ten Pitcher of the Year
• Illinois single-season strikeout record holder (116)
Jason Goldstein
• 2015 MLB Draft – 17th round – Los Angeles Dodgers
• All-Big Ten third team catcher
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Senior CLASS Award Finalist
• Led the Illini in batting average (.312), on-base percentage (.402), RBIs (29) and multi-RBI games (7)
Nick Blackburn
• 2015 MLB Draft – 22nd round – New York Mets
• Academic All-Big Ten
• 1-3, 3.73 ERA, 11 SV, 31.1 IP, 24 appearances
• Third in Illinois history in saves in a single season (11)
Adam Walton
• 2015 MLB Draft – 20th round – Baltimore Orioles
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Tied for the team lead in doubles (10)
• Two-time All-Big Ten shortstop
J.D. Nielsen
• Academic All-Big Ten
• 5-1, 3.60 ERA, 5 BB, 34 SO, 30.0 IP, 29 appearances
• 3-0 in Big Ten games
• Third in Illinois history in career appearances (79)
| Illini MLB Draft Picks Since 1981 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Student-Athlete | Organization |
| 2015 | 1 (No. 6) | Tyler Jay | Minnesota Twins |
| 2015 | 5 | Kevin Duchene | Oakland A's |
| 2015 | 9 | David Kerian | Washington Nationals |
| 2015 | 17 | Jason Goldstein* | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2015 | 20 | Adam Walton* | Baltimore Orioles |
| 2015 | 22 | Nick Blackburn* | New York Mets |
| 2015 | 25 | Rob McDonnell | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2015 | 26 | Drasen Johnson | Colorado Rockies |
| 2015 | 27 | Ryan Nagle | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 2014 | 30 | Ronnie Muck | Los Angeles Angels |
| 2013 | 8 | Justin Parr | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 2013 | 15 | Jordan Parr | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2013 | 23 | Thomas Lindauer | Houston Astros |
| 2013 | 24 | Kevin Johnson | Oakland Athletics |
| 2012 | 11 | Matt Milroy | Miami Marlins |
| 2012 | 22 | Willie Argo | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 2012 | 26 | Jordan Parr* | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2012 | 31 | Kevin Johnson* | New York Yankees |
| 2012 | 34 | Ryan Castellanos* | Chicago White Sox |
| 2011 | 11 | Adam Davis | Baltimore Orioles |
| 2011 | 12 | Josh Parr | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2011 | 18 | Corey Kimes | Minnesota Twins |
| 2011 | 42 | David Kerian* | Washington Nationals |
| 2011 | 43 | Willie Argo* | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 2010 | 29 | Reid Roper* | Atlanta Braves |
| 2010 | 50 | Kelly Norris-Jones* | Toronto Blue Jays |
| 2009 | 5 | Brandon Wikoff | Houston Astros |
| 2009 | 16 | Dominic Altobelli | Colorado Rockies |
| 2009 | 33 | Joe Bonadonna | Texas Rangers |
| 2009 | 35 | Matt Milroy* | Boston Red Sox |
| 2008 | 4 | Kyle Hudson | Baltimore Orioles |
| 2008 | 13 | Scott Shaw | New York Mets |
| 2008 | 49 | Willie Argo* | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2007 | 3 | Lars Davis | Colorado Rockies |
| 2007 | 33 | Shawn Roof | Detroit Tigers |
| 2005 | 3 | Chris Robinson | Detroit Tigers |
| 2005 | 19 | Jimmy Conroy | New York Yankees |
| 2005 | 22 | Drew Davidson | San Diego Padres |
| 2005 | 23 | James Morris | Cincinnati Reds |
| 2005 | 41 | Toby Gardenhire | Minnesota Twins |
| 2004 | 25 | Jimmy Conroy* | Oakland Athletics |
| 2002 | 11 | Patrick Arlis | Florida Marlins |
| 2002 | 28 | Andy Dickinson | Oakland Athletics |
| 2002 | 30 | Chris Robinson* | New York Mets |
| 2001 | 7 | Matt Vorwald | Minnesota Twins |
| 2001 | 31 | Andy Sigerich* | Milwaukee Brewers |
| 2001 | 37 | James Morris* | Anaheim Angels |
| 2001 | 46 | Drew Davidson* | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2000 | 6 | Chris Basak | New York Mets |
| 2000 | 10 | Jason Anderson | New York Yankees |
| 1999 | 4 | Jimmy Journell | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1999 | 11 | Tim Lavery | Chicago Cubs |
| 1999 | 27 | Dan O'Neill | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 1999 | 28 | Jon Anderson | Boston Red Sox |
| 1998 | 14 | Brett Weber | New York Yankees |
| 1998 | 20 | Dusty Rhodes | New York Yankees |
| 1998 | 22 | Aaron Nieckula | Oakland Athletics |
| 1998 | 30 | Matt Vorwald* | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 1998 | 44 | Justin Olson* | Chicago Cubs |
| 1997 | 6 | Jason Anderson* | Kansas City Royals |
| 1997 | 16 | Brett Weber* | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 1997 | 19 | Brian Hecht | Houston Astros |
| 1997 | 24 | Creston Whitaker* | Minnesota Twins |
| 1997 | 27 | Rob Fischer* | New York Yankees |
| 1996 | 10 | Josh Klimek | Milwaukee Brewers |
| 1996 | 11 | Brian McClure | San Diego Padres |
| 1996 | 14 | Tim Lavery* | Chicago Cubs |
| 1994 | 69 | Dusty Rhodes* | New York Yankees |
| 1993 | 6 | Scott Spiezio | Oakland Athletics |
| 1993 | 35 | Matt Arrandale | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1992 | 16 | Brian McClure* | Toronto Blue Jays |
| 1992 | 21 | Larry Sutton | Kansas City Royals |
| 1992 | 34 | Josh Klimek* | Chicago White Sox |
| 1992 | 44 | Jeff Martin* | Seattle Mariners |
| 1991 | 4 | Sean Mulligan | San Diego Padres |
| 1991 | 17 | Bubba Smith | Seattle Mariners |
| 1991 | 21 | Brian Roberts | Texas Rangers |
| 1991 | 30 | Rich Hyde | San Francisco Giants |
| 1990 | 18 | Mark Dalesandro | Anaheim Angels |
| 1990 | 31 | Kevin O'Connor | Atlanta Braves |
| 1988 | 1 (No. 22) | John Ericks | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1988 | 27 | Mike Munson* | L.A. Dodgers |
| 1988 | 31 | Mark Dressen* | Atlanta Braves |
| 1987 | 6 | Darrin Fletcher | L.A. Dodgers |
| 1987 | 10 | Kevin O'Connor* | Chicago Cubs |
| 1987 | 15 | Tony Michalak | San Francisco Giants |
| 1987 | 24 | Greg McCollum | Boston Red Sox |
| 1987 | 54 | Brian Mershon | Cincinnati Reds |
| 1986 | 11 | Brannon "Boo" Champagne | Kansas City Royals |
| 1985 | 8 | Terry Wells | Houston Astros |
| 1985 | 9 | Jim Orsag | Boston Red Sox |
| 1985 | 13 | Dick Canan | Chicago Cubs |
| 1985 | 14 | Greg Iavarone | New York Yankees |
| 1985 | 23 | Donn Pall | Chicago White Sox |
| 1985 | 29 | Ken Warmbier | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 1984 | 2 | Joe Olker | San Francisco Giants |
| 1984 | 8 | Dick Canan* | San Francisco Giants |
| 1983 | 13 | Tim Richardson | Kansas City Royals |
| 1983 | 13 | Jeff Innis | New York Mets |
| 1982 | 6 | Brian Innis | L.A. Dodgers |
| 1982 | 10 | Rick Filippo | Cleveland Indians |
| 1982 | 13 | Randy Conte | Detroit Tigers |
| 1982 | 19 | Jim Orsag* | Chicago Cubs |
| 1982 | 25 | Dan Hamstra | Chicago White Sox |
| 1981 | 11 | Terry Wells* | Cleveland Indians |
| 1981 | 21 | Anthony Leonardi* | Atlanta Braves |
* Did not sign
