By David Carducci
Record-Courier staff writer
Pitchers Brad Stillings and Jon Pokorny led a quintet of Kent State players selected Wednesday during day two of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft.
Stillings was drafted in round seven by the Minnesota Twins with the 222nd overall selection, while Pokorny was tabbed by the Milwaukee Brewers in round nine with pick 286 overall.
Wednesday also saw senior infielder Chris Tremblay selected in round 19 by the San Diego Padres, junior pitcher Kyle Smith drafted in round 20 by the Cleveland Indians and senior infielder Greg Rohan picked in round 21 by the Chicago Cubs.
Stillings and Pokorny just finished their junior year, and assuming they get the deals they are looking for from their Major League clubs, it is unlikely they will return to Kent State for their final season.
The First-Year Player Draft started Tuesday with rounds one through three. Rounds four to 30 were conducted Wednesday.
“I got a few calls in the third round and then a few more from teams during the fourth round, but the deals that were offered weren’t right for me,” said Stillings. “Then the Twins called in the seventh round and said they had a strong desire to sign me and they indicated they would give me what I wanted, so I decided that was the best situation for me.
“The Twins like power arms,” Stillings said. “They work with their pitchers in the minor leagues to really help guys get better and that’s what it is all about.”
Stillings, who finished his junior season with a 6-4 record and a 7.52 earned-run average, struggled in the second half of 2009 after tossing a no-hitter at Toledo on April 10. It was just the 10th no-hitter in KSU history.
“At the beginning of the year, I was projected as a first or second-round pick,” said Stillings. “But then I had the tough time in the second half of the year. After I struggled, I thought I may come back for my senior year then hopefully go in the first two rounds as a senior.
“Right now, I’m going to try to get a deal done, but coming back to Kent State is not out of the question. I definitely want to start my professional career, but if the deal doesn’t go through, coach (Scott) Stricklin and (pitching coach Mike) Birkbeck are great coaches and Kent State is a great program.”
Pokorny was 5-2 with five saves and a fine 2.20 ERA as a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen for KSU in 2009.
His potential as a lefty specialist at the Major League level should help him get a favorable deal with the Brewers.
“I think with Brad and Pokorny, things will work out with their teams,” said Stricklin. “When you get drafted that high, before the 10th round, usually something has already been worked out. I anticipate those getting done. Tremblay and Rohan are both seniors, so those are no-brainers. They’ll sign as soon as their clubs are ready to sign them.”
Rohan’s .349 batting average was second on the Flashes in 2009, and his 15 home runs tied for the team lead. Tremblay hit .347 and scored a team-best 66 runs.
“It was good to see Chris and Greg get drafted,” said Stricklin. “They worked so hard for it. They were disappointed last year when they weren’t drafted, and it’s important they get an opportunity. They certainly deserve it. Those guys won four championships for this program over the last four years.”
The wild card among the Kent State picks may be Smith, who was 4-2 with a 4.79 ERA in 11 starts last season. He may need to pitch this summer to get a deal from the Indians that would be worth passing up his senior season.
How a coach feels about seeing underclassmen from his team get drafted “usually depends on how your roster looks and how well you’ve recruited,” according to Stricklin.
“We feel really good about our incoming recruits, but those guys are going to have some big shoes to fill,” said Stricklin. “Those three juniors were a big part of our program for the last three years.
“This is bittersweet,” Stricklin said. “We are thrilled they got drafted and we are thrilled the opportunity to play professionally is there for them if they want it. But gosh, the team is a lot better if they were here. It’s a double-edged sword, but the first thing we talk about at Kent State is that we will develop guys to play at the next level.”
The Flashes could see several more players selected when the First-Year Player Draft continues today with rounds 31 to 50. Senior outfielders Jason Patton, junior outfielder Anthony Gallas, senior pitcher Alan Morrison and sophomore pitcher Robert Sabo are all prospects with the potential to be drafted sometime today.
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David Carducci can be reached at dcarducci@recordpub.com