San Diego Padres selects former Kent State player in MLB Draft
Kent State’s Eric Lauer , his mother, Carole, left and his sister and girlfriend and large crowd of excited supporters react after Lauer is chosen 25th overall in the first round of the MLB draft by the SanDiego Padres. The draft party was held at Aces bar and grill in North Ridgeville, Ohio, on Thursday, June 9, 2016.
Former Kent State pitcher Eric Lauer was selected 25th overall by the San Diego Padres in the 2016 MLB Draft on Thursday night.
Lauer becomes the seventh player in Kent State baseball history to go in the first round, and the first since Andrew Chafin,who was drafted 43rd overall in 2011.
“To be drafted in the first round has always been one of my goals” Lauer said, in a press release. “To be the 7th first-round pick in Kent State history is really an honor. To have my name mentioned alongside all those great players is awesome.”
The pitcher had the lowest ERA in the country at 0.69 in 104.0 innings and had 125 strike outs; the second most strike outs in a single season in Kent State history.
Lauer was named Collegiate Baseball’s National Player of the Year and earned First Team All-American honors. He was also honored as a Second Team Academic All-American, the highest in Kent State baseball history.
Lauer joins Dustin Hermanson and Dirk Hayhurst as former Kent State players to be drafted by San Diego.
Contact Zach Harley at [email protected].