Thirty Big Ten Players Taken in MLB Draft

Total marks conference's highest since 2009

June 7, 2012

Park Ridge, Ill. – Thirty Big Ten players were selected in this week’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, marking the conference's highest number of draftees since 2009. Purdue catcher Kevin Plawecki, the Big Ten’s Player of the Year and the Big Ten Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, was the first conference selection, going 35th overall to the New York Mets in the Compensation A Round.

Ten conference teams had at least one player drafted, led by Purdue’s seven selections, which marks the Big Ten’s highest single-team total since Indiana in 2009. Nebraska had five players drafted, while Illinois and Michigan State each had four taken, Penn State had three, Indiana and Iowa had two, and Minnesota, Northwestern and Ohio State each had one draftee.

The entire list of drafted Big Ten players can be found below.

Player, School

Pos.

Round

Overall Pick

Team

Kevin Plawecki, PUR

C

Comp A

35

New York Mets

Cameron Perkins, PUR

3B

6

218

Philadelphia

Torsten Boss, MSU

OF

8

252

Baltimore

Joe Kurrasch, PSU

LHP

8

268

San Francisco

Nick Wittgren, PUR

RHP

9

287

Miami

Micah Johnson, IND

2B

9

291

Chicago White Sox

Chad Martin, IND

RHP

10

314

Chicago Cubs

Matt Milroy, ILL

RHP

11

347

Miami

TJ Oakes, MINN

RHP

11

348

Colorado

Ryan Jones, MSU

2B

13

418

San Francisco

Tony Bucciferro, MSU

RHP

14

441

Chicago White Sox

John Kuchno, OSU

RHP

18

556

Pittsburgh

Jordan Steranka, PSU

3B

21

646

Pittsburgh

Willie Argo, ILL

CF

22

692

Tampa Bay

Travis Huber, NEB

RHP

23

700

Minnesota

Lance Breedlove, PUR

RHP

23

106

Pittsburgh

Kale Kiser, NEB

CF

23

711

Chicago White Sox

Richard Stock, NEB

C

23

713

Cleveland

Matt Dermody, IOWA

LHP

23

723

Arizona

Khiry Cooper, NEB

OF

25

781

Boston

Jordan Parr, ILL

3B

26

806

LA Dodgers

John Walter, PSU

RHP

29

883

Kansas City

Eric Charles, PUR

2B

29

885

San Diego

Barrett Serrato, PUR

OF

30

936

Texas

Kevin Johnson, ILL

RHP

31

967

New York Yankees

Tony Wieber, MSU

RHP

33

1005

San Diego

Mike McQuillan, IOWA

2B

33

1014

Washington

Chad Christensen, NEB

CF

35

1067

Miami

Geoff Rowan, NU

C

39

1202

Tampa Bay

Brad Schreiber, PUR

RHP

40

1210

Minnesota