Baseball | 6/5/2018 4:15:00 PM
ERIE, Pa. – Mercyhurst junior pitcher
Chris Vallimont was selected by the Miami Marlins in the fifth round of the 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft Tuesday afternoon.
The Lakers' star pitcher was the 147
th overall pick, the second highest in Mercyhurst history behind 2014 draftee and current Seattle Mariner Dan Altavilla. Vallimont is the 19
th player in Lakers' program history to be selected in the MLB draft and the 12
th player under the direction of head coach
Joe Spano.
Vallimont's junior season was an award-heavy and prominent campaign for the Erie, Pa. native. The Mercyhurst Prep graduate helped Mercyhurst reach its second NCAA Division II Baseball Championship. He had a 10-3 record with a program-record 147 strikeouts and a 2.58 ERA in 80.1 innings. His 16.47 strikeouts per nine innings was the highest in Division II. In 15 appearances (12 starts), he had two complete games, four shutouts, and opponents batted just .143 against him.
Here is a list of awards Vallimont has compiled this season:
2018 PSAC West Division First Team
2018 PSAC West Division Pitcher of the Year
2018 NCBWA Atlantic Region First Team
2018 NCBWA Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Year
2018 NCBWA First Team All America
2018 D2CCA Atlantic Region First Team
2018 D2CCA Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Year'
2018 D2CCA First Team All America
2018 ABCA / Rawlings Atlantic Region First Team
2018 ABCA / Rawlings Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Year
2018 ABCA / Rawlings First Team All America
MERCYHURST DRAFTEES
John Costello (1983) - 24th round, St. Louis Cardinals
Chris Snusz (1995) - 19th round, Philadelphia Phillies
David Lee (1995) - 23rd round, Colorado Rockies
Kevin Sweeney (1996) - 29th round, Arizona Diamondbacks
Pat Cutshall (1997) - 17th round, Houston Astros
Bob Balazentis (1997) - 30th round, Kansas City Royals
Justin Santonocito (1998) - 28th round, Arizona Diamondbacks
Nate Goodrich (2001) - 45th round, Boston Red Sox
David Lough (2007) - 11th round, Kansas City Royals
Brian Espersen (2007) - 18th round, Houston Astros
Jamie Walczak (2009) - 15th round, Cincinnati Reds
Steve Grife (2009) - 26th round, Chicago Cubs
Nick Gillung (2011) - 19th round, St. Louis Cardinals
Zak Blair (2013) - 20th round, Chicago Cubs
Dan Altavilla (2014) - 5th round, Seattle Mariners
Colin McKee (2016) – 18
th round, Houston Astros
Hank Morrison (2016) – 22
nd round, Minnesota Twins
Cam Balego (2017) – 30
th round, Chicago Cubs
Chris Vallimont (2018) – 5th round, Miami Marlins
