Illinois State lefthanded pitcher Kyle Bloom, outfielder Jeremy Pickrel and righthanded pitcher Josh Kauten all were selected in day one activities of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.
Bloom was the first to go, as he went off the board in the 5th round to the Pittsburgh Pirates as the 142nd overall pick. The native of Bettendorf, Iowa went 6-6 in 2004 for head coach Jim Brownlees team. His six wins and 85 strikeouts were both team highs. After three years at Illinois State, Blooms 219 career strikeouts are the sixth most in Illinois State history. He has a career record of 14-16 at Illinois State and has allowed opponents to only hit .258 off him.
As a junior, Bloom has the option of either signing with the Pirates and turning pro, or returning to Illinois State for his senior season in 2005 and entering the June, 2005 draft.
Junior slugger Jeremy Pickrel was chosen by the Minnesota Twins in the 10th round. The left-handed hitter led Illinois State with 11 home runs and drove in 36 with a .268 average in 2004. Despite those numbers, the Galesburg, Ill., native had somewhat of an off year at the plate, as he hit .317 with 12 home runs and 39 RBI in 2003. The 301st player selected, Pickrel will have the choice to either turn pro of return to Illinois State for his senior season next yearjust like Bloom.
Just 12 selections later, the Detroit Tigers made Kauten the second selection in the 11th round. The Vinton, Iowa native came to Illinois State in 2003 following two seasons at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Used primarily as a starter in 2003 and 2004, Kauten saw his stock rise considerably when he was shifted to the closer role for the last two weeks of the 2004 season. In his final four appearances, Kauten pitched 11 1/3 innings, allowing only eight hits and one run while striking out 16 and recording two saves. Kauten also excelled in the classroom, as he was named the 2003 Illinois State Male Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Redbird coach Jim Brownlee commended the trio and what they contributed to Illinois State. He thinks they join pitcher Andy Benes, infielder Jamey Carroll and catcher Sal Fasano as players he has coached who have reached the Major Leagues.
It speaks highly of the program when you have three guys drafted on the first day, said Brownlee. Im excited for them because being a professional ballplayer is a lifelong dream for all of them. While I think all of them would tell you they didnt have the year they wanted to have at Illinois State this year, I do want to say that they demonstrated that all three have the talent to get to the big leagues.
Brownlee agrees that becoming a professional player is a process and the college years are important in that development.
I always tell recruits that I have coached a lot of guys who played for me go on to professional baseball even though they werent drafted out of high school, said Brownlee. People tell baseball players to come to Illinois State because they will get better, and they do get better. I think Kyle, Jeremy and Josh will realize down the road that they did get better and appreciate being part of the program at Illinois State. At Illinois State, we prepare them for life and prepare them for for professional baseball. These guys should do well in both.
The 50-round draft will finish on Tuesday and could include Illinois State outfielder Nate Whitney and pitcher Todd Stein, plus incoming recruit Adam Swain from Wabash Valley Community College, who would be a junior in 2004-05 at Illinois State.
