Four More Current Huskies Selected In Draft

SEATTLE – Four more current UW players and one future Husky heard their names called in the final day of the Major League Baseball Draft on Wednesday and in the process a school record was tied.

With Chris Micheles (14^th round), Connor Blair (15^th) and Jordan Jones (16^th) all being selected, it marked the third time in UW history that five players have been picked in the top-20 rounds, matching the 2002 and 2003 drafts. On Tuesday, in day two of the draft, Nick Kahle (4^th) and Josh Burgmann (5^th) were selected.

Brock Jones, who inked a letter of intent to attend UW and is from W.F. West HS in Chehalis, Wash., was picked in the 16^th round, while junior infielder Ben Baird was selected in the 34^th round.

Micheles, a junior left-handed pitcher from Puyallup, Wash., led the Huskies with six wins and had a team-best 13.09 strikeouts per nine innings. Overall, he was 6-2 with a 4.13 ERA and struck out 76 batters in 52 1/3 innings. He led the Pac-12 for fewest hits allowed with 37. He was the 420^th overall pick in the 14^th round by the Philadelphia Phillies.

"Chris Micheles' best innings are ahead of him," said Husky Coach Lindsay Meggs. "While he made a significant jump in velocity and command this year, I believe there is much more in there. I am excited to see Chris compete at the next level. He has a chance to be special."

Blair, a right-handed hitting outfielder from Brentwood, Calif., missed the final month of the season after being hit by a pitch and breaking his wrist. He hit .291 and tied for second on the team with eight home runs and was third with 27 runs batted in. Blair joined UW in 2019 after leading all of California junior colleges with 21 home runs and 77 RBIs. He was selected 457^th overall in the 15^th round by the Atlanta Braves.

"I'm very excited for Connor and his family," said Meggs. "While Connor's season was cut short due to injury, he put up some good numbers. Connor is raw but very talented and as he figures this thing out, he could turn some heads."

Jordan Jones has been a stalwart in the Huskies' rotation for three years and is tied for sixth all-time in UW history with 43 starts. The right-hander from Kent, Wash., finished his junior year ranked among UW's all-time career leaders in strikeouts (6^th, 209) and innings pitched (7^th, 268.1). He was 4-6 with a 4.86 ERA in 15 starts, striking out 79 in 87 innings. Jones finished the season especially strong, recording 18 strikeouts against NCAA Regional teams Cal and No. 1 UCLA. The Cleveland Indians selected Jones 490^th overall in the 16^th round.

"(I'm) very happy for both Jordan and the Indians," said Meggs. "Jordan's versatility will make him a valuable piece down the road for the Indians. His ability to throw four pitches for a strike will allow him to pitch on the front end or give them innings out of the pen."

Brock Jones was rated by PerfectGame.org as the 281^st overall high school player. He is the number two overall prospect in Washington according to BaseballNorthwest.com. He was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 16^th round, 482^nd overall.

On signing day in November, Meggs had the following assessment of Jones: "Brock is a power arm from the left side who has a chance to make an impact the minute he steps foot on campus. I've seen him dominate people with a fastball that touches 92-93, and I've seen him finish off both right-handed and left-handed hitters with a wipeout slider. Brock's stuff can be electric, and he is a great competitor. On top of that is a confidence in his stuff that will enable him to compete here right away. This guy has tremendous upside."

The next Husky to hear his name called in the draft was Baird, who was picked by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 34^th round, 1025^th overall. It is the second time the right-hander from Agoura, Calif., has been picked on draft day as he was also selected in the 20^th round of the 2016 draft by Cleveland. Baird hit .251 with one homer and 14 runs batted in. He was drafted as a shortstop but 30 of his 47 starts in 2019 at second base and the other 17 at third base.

"Benny can play every infield position and could even help in the outfield," said Meggs. "His versatility will be a big asset, and as he gets stronger the bat is going to play."

The six current Huskies drafted on Tuesday and Wednesday represent the second most picked during Meggs' 10 years at Washington. He has now had 39 players picked from his rosters over the last decade.

Huskies in the 2019 MLB Draft
Name Team Round           Overall Pick
Nick Kahle             Milwaukee 4th 133
Josh Burgmann Chicago Cubs 5th 162
Chirs Micheles Philadelphia 14th 420
Connor Blair Atlanta 15th 457
Brock Jones (signee) Arizona 16th 482
Jordan Jones Cleveland   16th 490
Ben Baird St. Louis 34th 1025

Schedule

Players Mentioned

Ben Baird

Connor Blair

Josh Burgmann

Jordan Jones

Nick Kahle

Chris Micheles

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