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MLBDL West Virginia Black Bears

Five West Virginia Black Bears Selected in 2024 MLB Draft

July 16, 2024 - Major League Baseball Draft League (MLBDL)
West Virginia Black Bears News Release


In its fourth season in the MLB Draft League, the West Virginia Black Bears had five players selected in the 2024 MLB Draft. Ryan Lambert, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Oklahoma, was the highest draft pick taken from the 2024 Black Bears (8th round, 233rd overall by the New York Mets). Six additional players from the previous two seasons were drafted with L.P. Langevin coming off the board in the fourth round as the first MLB Draft League player - active or alumni - taken in this year's draft (105th overall by the Kansas City Royals). With this season's draft picks, 32 West Virginia players have been drafted since joining the league in 2021.

Along with Lambert, the four players drafted from the 2024 team were left-handed pitcher Ethan Sloan (8th round by the Detroit Tigers), right-handed pitcher Blake Shepardson (11th round by the Chicago White Sox), right-handed pitcher Eric Loomis (16th round by the Texas Rangers), and outfielder Andrew Patrick (17th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates).

In addition to the 2024 players, six former Black Bears were selected. From last season's team were right-handed pitchers L.P. Langevin (4th round, 105th overall by the Royals), Ryan Schiefer (14th round by the Tampa Bay Rays), and Ryan Degges (17th round by the Philadelphia Phillies). Drafted from the 2022 first-half championship team were infielder Sam Antonacci (5th round, 140th overall by the Chicago White Sox), right-handed pitcher Peyton Olejnik (6th round, 172nd overall by the Los Angeles Angels), and catcher Ben Hartl (14th round by the Texas Rangers).

Taken in the eighth round, Ryan Lambert made a lasting impact in his short tenure with the Black Bears. The former Oklahoma pitcher holds the MLB Draft League velocity record with a fastball that broke 100 mph. Through six innings pitched, Lambert posted a 1.50 ERA with 17 strikeouts and a 0.50 WHIP, becoming the most dangerous closer in the Black Bears bullpen.

Ethan Sloan heard his name called three picks later, going to the Detroit Tigers with the 236th pick. Sloan, a graduate of Regis University, came out of the bullpen with a 4.09 ERA through 11.0 innings pitched. A four-year reliever for the Regis Rangers, the Colorado native holds the school record for single-season and career strikeouts per inning.

Blake Shepardson became the first 2024 Black Bear selected on the third and final day of the MLB Draft, going 319th to the Chicago White Sox. In his time with the Bears, Shepardson was a shut-down closer with a 0.00 ERA and six strikeouts through 5.1 innings on the mound. The righty from the University of San Francisco allowed just two hits in his five appearances for West Virginia.

Another right-handed pitcher who made a strong impression in a short amount of time, Eric Loomis was selected with the last pick of the 16th round by the Texas Rangers (495th overall). Loomis, from Missouri State University, was efficient in his four innings of work, allowing no runs with six strikeouts. Despite sitting out the 2023 college season with an injury, the redshirt junior ranked 44th nationally this season and second in the Missouri Valley Conference.

The only position player taken from the Bears, Andrew Patrick was selected with the 504th pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Patrick, from Wright State, held a .259 batting average through eight games with West Virginia. The Hilliard, OH, native joins the Pirates after three seasons with the Wright State Raiders with a career .288 average in 150 games played.

Several former Black Bears were called during the Draft, including L.P. Langevin, the first MLB Draft League alum off the board, taken in the 4th round by the Royals. Langevin, from Quebec, Canada, played for the 2023 West Virginia team, posting a blank ERA as a closer with 22 strikeouts through 11.1 frames. Langevin spent last season at Louisiana at Lafayette after transferring from Wabash Valley Junior College. Sam Antonacci, a 2022 Black Bear under former manager Jedd Gyorko, was taken in the 5th round by the Chicago White Sox. Antonacci joins the White Sox after a productive season with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, ending his collegiate career with a .367 BA in 61 games. Pitcher Peyton Olejnik, who played for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers this season, was drafted in the 6th round by the Los Angeles Angels. The right-handed pitcher played for the 2022 Black Bears team, ending his season with a 6.75 ERA through four games (three starts).

Right-handed pitchers Ryan Schiefer and Ryan Degges from the 2023 team were taken in the 14th and 17th rounds, respectively. Schiefer started five times in seven appearances with a 5.75 ERA, while Degges made three appearances for the Bears with a 6.35 ERA. Ben Hartl, a catcher drafted in the 14th round by the Rangers, played in two games for West Virginia in 2022.

The MLB Draft League saw 36 players selected from this year's teams - 19 pitchers and 17 position players. Overall, 52 former and active players were drafted, the most in league history. All MLB Draft League teams resume their seasons on July 18, with the Black Bears hitting the road for four games to take on the Trenton Thunder in Trenton, New Jersey.

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