Reds select Bearcat pitcher in draft

CINCINNATII - The Cincinnati Reds didn't have to go very far for one of their draft picks on Wednesday.

University of Cincinnati right-handed pitcher Christian McElroy (Middletown) was selected by the Reds with the 982nd overall pick in the 32 round of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft. He is the third Bearcat taken in the this year's MLB draft. Pitcher Zach Isler (Union, Ky./Covington Catholic) and outfielder Jake Proctor (Cincinnati/Oak Hills) were drafted on Tuesday.

McElroy becomes the second right-handed pitcher from UC to be drafted by the Reds in the past two years. Dan Jensen was selected by the Reds in the 20th round of the 2011 draft.

McElroy’s selection gives the Bearcats a trio of draftees in the same year for the first time since 2009 and the fifth time in program history (1977, 1988, 2001). The 2008 draft class saw a school-record four Bearcats selected.

The 6-foot-4 red shirt sophomore pitched in 13 games with nine starts this season. He posted a 4.41 ERA with four wins and 46 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings.

McElroy is the 22nd Bearcat drafted since Brian Cleary became the coach at UC in 1997.
 

Contributed by GoBearcats