Issue date: 6/11/09 Section: Sports

Junior Pitcher Tyler Kehrer was drafted 48th overall Tuesday night at the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. He led the OVC this season with 90 strikeouts while limited opposing hitters to a .213 average. (file photo)

Senior shortstop Jordan Kreke was drafted in the thirteenth round by the Atlanta Braves. He was previously named this season's OVC Player of the year after barring .507 with 40 RBIs in conference games. (file photo)

Junior pitcher Tyler Kehrer was drafted by the L.A. Angels of Anaheim as the 48th overall pick of the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday night.

Kehrer was the first of three Eastern players selected in this year's draft. Senior outfielder Brett Nommensen and senior shortstop Jordan Kreke were picked in the eighth and thirteenth rounds, respectively, on Wednesday afternoon.

"I cannot be more pleased or proud," head coach Jim Schmitz said. "Having three guys drafted says a lot about how great a season we had. These are three guys that worked hard and got better."

Kehrer, a left-handed pitcher, was chosen by the Angels during Compensation Round A, which immediately follows the first round of the draft. The Angels were awarded the 48th pick after Jon Garland signed with Arizona as a free agent.

He is expected to sign with the Anaheim, effectively ending his career at Eastern with a year of eligibility left.

Schmitz said he is not surprised Kehrer was drafted so high as a junior.

"He was touching 94 mph at the end of the year and he just kept getting better and better," he said.

Kehrer was the first player in the draft to be selected from the OVC and from an Illinois university. He also became the highest-drafted Eastern player since 1988, when Stan Royer was selected 16th overall by the Oakland Athletics.

The southpaw led the OVC this season with 90 strikeouts, 14 of which came in a complete game against SIU-Edwardsville on April 26. For the season, OVC opponents hit only .213 against him, the lowest in the league.

Over his career at Eastern, Kehrer struck out 185 batters over 177 and 2/3 innings of work.

Nommensen, a four-year starting center fielder for the Panthers, was selected 259th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays. The senior was leading the nation in both on-base and slugging percentage before leaving the lineup for six weeks on April 10 with a wrist injury.

He returned to the lineup on May 22, and went 3-for-5 in the Panther's season-ending loss to Murray State.

Due to the injury, and his untimely return, Schmitz explained that national scouts most likely never got the chance to observe Nommensen's play in person. Because the Panthers were not selected for the NCAA Tournament, MLB scouts only had one opportunity to see him play over the last two months leading up to the draft.

"I told Brett don't be disappointed. [Being drafted in the] Eighth round is a testimony to what he did the first 20 games," Schmitz said.

Nommensen finished the 2009 season with a .525 batting average and a .652 on-base percentage. He owns a .374 career batting average, and tied the Eastern record for career runs scored in his final game.

Kreke, this season's OVC Player of the Year, was drafted 388th overall by the Atlanta Braves. Kreke was recently designated a third-team All American, and was one of 15 semifinalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, which is given annually to the nation's best shortstop.

"I've been working toward this my whole life. Now that I got drafted, it's a dream come true," Kreke said.

Kreke led the team this season in two categories: home runs (13) and RBIs (59). In conference games, he batted .507 with 40 RBIs.

This year's MLB draft was the first time in history that Eastern had two players taken in the first ten rounds. It also marks the first time since 1988 that three Eastern players have been drafted.

Jeff Jurinek can be reached at 581-7943 or at densportsdesk@gmail.com.

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