Ball State University Athletics
Two More Cardinals Taken on Day Three of MLB Draft
June 12, 2016 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. – The 2016 Major League Baseball Draft concluded Saturday and two more Ball State baseball players were selected – pitchers Zach Plesac and Colin Brockhouse. The Cleveland Indians took Plesac in round 12, and the Pittsburgh Pirates picked up Brockhouse in the 37th round.
Ball State led all Mid-American Conference teams with four players selected in this year's draft. Alex Call (Chicago White Sox, round three) and Jarett Rindfleisch (Miami Marlins, round nine) were picked yesterday. The last time four Cardinals were taken in the MLB Draft was 2006.
“Our program takes pride in developing players,” Ball State coach Rich Maloney said. “None of these guys were drafted out of high school, but because of their commitment and work ethic, they were rewarded. I also have to give a lot of credit to our assistant coaches for the way they help and push all of our players to improve.”
Plesac, a junior from Crown Point, Indiana, was the 2014 Collegiate Baseball National Freshman Pitcher of the Year. The righty set a Ball State single-season record with 12 wins that year and led the Cardinals in ERA (2.11) and saves (6). This year, Plesac tossed a two-hit complete game shutout in the 9-0 win over Miami (Ohio) on March 26. He struck out a career-high 11 batters and only allowed one base runner the final four innings.
Brockhouse, a sophomore from Fort Wayne, Indiana, was used in a variety of roles for the Cardinals this spring. He was used as a starting pitcher, relief pitcher, outfielder, third baseman and designated hitter. The righty nearly struck out one batter per inning – 53 strikeouts in 57.1 innings – in his 17 appearances. Brockhouse went a season-high 6.2 innings and struck out eight batters in a 6-1 win over Dayton on March 18.
All told, 66 Cardinals have now been selected in the MLB Draft since its inception in 1965. Most recently Ball State had three names called in 2014 -- T.J. Weir, Sean Godfrey and Nestor Bautista were selected by the Padres, Braves and Marlins respectively. The former two players have already made their ascent to the Double-A level, two steps from the major leagues.
For more information on the MLB Draft, fans can visit the Draft Central homepage at MLB.com.
For the most up-to-date information on the Ball State baseball team, please follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateBB and @CoachMaloney.
