The 2022 Major League Baseball Freshman Draft took place July 17-20 and featured three Indiana baseball players.
On Monday, right-handed pitcher Jack Perkins was selected in the fifth round with the No. 154 overall pick by the Oakland Athletics. On Tuesday, the Baltimore Orioles drafted a pair of right-handed pitchers from Indiana: Bradley Brehmer in the 12th round and Reese Sharp in the 20th round.
With those selections, 11 pitchers have now been drafted under Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer, and Indiana has 114 total draft picks in program history.
Perkins served as Indiana’s starter on Friday night in the Big Ten game and led the team with 83 innings pitched at the end of the season. He led all of Indiana’s qualified pitchers with a 5.10 ERA, .240 batting average against, 91 strikeouts and 15 games started. In Perkins’ final appearance against Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament on May 28, Perkins became the 11th Indiana pitcher to strike out 90 batters in a season.
Perkins’ longest outing of the season was a 4-2 loss at Rutgers on April 16 when he allowed just one run and three hits in seven innings of work with seven strikeouts. He also had notable performances in a non-conference game against Missouri State on March 5 — allowing two hits and a run while striking out seven batters in six innings — and March 17 when he stoked nine. batters and allowed two runs in six innings against Xavier. . Perkins detailed his warrior mindset in this Reportage.
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“God is faithful. God is good. It’s a dream come true,” Perkins said on Twitter. “A journey is over, but a new journey has just begun. I promise to work every day to help this organization win at the highest level. I won’t let you down Oakland. Thank you for this opportunity. #DrumTogether”
Brehmer transferred to Indiana ahead of the 2022 campaign after pitching at Wright State for three seasons. He made three relief appearances for Indiana before making his first start against Missouri State on March 6, where he allowed three runs in six innings. As Indiana’s No. 2 starter, Brehmer won a team-high five games and held the opposition to three or fewer earned runs in eight starts. He was second on the team with a 5.30 ERA and posted his 200th career strikeout against Minnesota on May 15.
Brehmer’s most memorable outing was his last performance for the Hoosiers on the biggest stage. In a playoff game against Illinois on May 27 at the Big Ten Tournament in Omaha, Neb., Brehmer pitched a full game with four hits, one run, and six strikeouts. This effort led to Team honors from all Big Ten tournaments.
The third and final Hoosier taken in this year’s MLB Draft was Sharp, who was the first pick in the 20th and final round. Sharp started a game for Indiana and became one of Mercer’s top options out of the bullpen in 22 relief appearances. He led Indiana with 11 games completed, tied for the team lead with four saves, and was third among the Hoosiers with 76 strikeouts.
When the Hoosiers were in trouble, Mercer usually called on Sharp to get out of trouble. Sharp grounded 19 of 28 legacy runners, throwing more than one relief run in 20 outings. Sharp really found his groove in his final 23.1 innings, allowing just three earned runs. From April 23 at Nebraska until the end of the season, Sharp allowed one or zero hits in eight of 10 appearances. Sharp’s most memorable outing of the season may have come on May 1 against Illinois when he struck out six batters and went zero in 4.1 innings.
Indiana Baseball Related Stories:
- PERKINS LEADS INDIANA WITH A WARRIOR MINDSET: After overcoming Tommy John surgery and a turbulent career in Louisville, Jack Perkins found a home in Indiana through his faith in God. He’s now Indiana’s Friday starter, leading the Hoosiers in confidence and toughness. CLICK HERE
- BREHMER LAUNCHES THE FULL GAME: Indiana Baseball’s Bradley Brehmer was named to the Big Ten’s All-Tournament team after pitching a full game in the Hoosiers’ 8-1 win over Illinois Fighting Illini. Brehmer becomes the first Indiana pitcher to win full tournament honors since Christian Morris in 2014. CLICK HERE
- SHARP’S GUTSY PERFORMANCE BEATS ILLINOIS: Indiana scored eight runs in the fifth inning of Sunday’s rubber game against Illinois. Freshman Carter Mathison homered twice and Reese Sharp pitched 4.1 scoreless innings in relief for a crucial series victory. CLICK HERE
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