MAC Baseball

Nine MAC players selected in the 2013 MLB Draft

Of the those taken included many key players on Kent State's College World Series team, the MAC Player of the Year and a former MAC Freshman of the Year.

By Matt Sussman Jun 8, 2013, 7:49pm EDT

Round	Pick	Name	School	MLB	Pos	Class
4	108	Tyler Skulina	Kent State	Cubs	RHP	Junior
A fine selection for the first MAC player taken off the board. Skulina started the rubber match aganst Oregon in the 2012 Super Regional, throwing 5 2/3 shutout innings and helping them to victory. He improved on his 1.32 WHIP, lowering it to 1.15 and also improving his ERA from 3.77 to 3.36, also improving his strikeout rate. Minor League Ball rated him as the 34th best prospect coming out of the central region. MLB.com says he could be come a 2- or 3-starter, which is probably the dream scenario.
4	122	Taylor Williams	Kent State	Brewers	RHP	Junior
Williams transferred to the Golden Flashes this year from junior college in Oregon. He was a great pickup for the rotation, registering team highs in wins (10), ERA (2.47), complete games (3), innings (105 2/3) and strikeouts (110). He also walked only 18 batters, giving him over a six K/BB ratio. With velocity in the mid-90s and a good slider, he's got a good future in the Brewers organization.
19	567	Jeff Zimmerman	Northern Illinois	Mariners	1B	Junior
The MAC Freshman of the Year and an All-MAC first teamer in 2011, Zimmerman regressed in 2012 but bounced back with a solid .321 average and .380 on-base percentage. Somewhere down the line Zimmerman's power disappeared; he hit 11 his freshman year, down to six in 2012 and zero this year. But a first baseman with a mysterious power rating doesn't bode well. Fortunately in the Seattle organization, home runs are hard to come by anyway, so maybe he could convert positions and hit for average somewhere else.
19	579	Dylan Rheault	Central Michigan	Orioles	RHP	Sophomore
Really surprising pick, honestly. Rheault served as a reliever and spot starter, making 14 appearances and starting four times. He struck out 29 batters in 39 innings, posting a 6.00 ERA and a 1.84 WHIP. So despite the bad numbers, Baseball America had him as the third best prospect in the MAC in the preseason. But he needs to work on his control, especially if he's going to be a sinkerballer.
20	590	Jason Kanzler	Buffalo	Twins	CF	Senior
I thought the MAC Player of the Year would go a bit higher, but college production has never been a huge swayer of scouts. Kanzler had a terrific season with a slash line of .330/.405/.604, including 12 home runs. Will those numbers translate to the pro level? He best hope it can, because power at a premium position like center field is quite valuable.
21	645	Eric Dorsch	Kent State	Reds	RHP	Junior
Dorsch finished up his redshirt freshman year, so he may not quite take the pro offer yet as he has time to improve. He posted a 3.62 ERA in 24 games, saving three games and striking out 47 batters in 32 ⅓ innings. Given his 24 walks, he still needs to work on his control a bit.
22	674	Derek Toadvine	Kent State	Yankees	2B	Junior
Toadvine played a little shortstop will probably be a second baseman in the minors. He batted leadoff for the Golden Flashes sporting a .297 average, .382 on-base and led the team with 29 stolen bases in 32 attempts. Not bad and worth a look.
26	780	George Roberts	Kent State	Diamondbacks	1B	Senior
Kent State was not a homer-hitting team this year, especially from the first base spot, but Roberts is, if nothing else, a high average hitter with a slash line of .358/.471/.503. He walked 30 times with just 21 strikeouts, and also batted .364 last year with eight homers. He's got hitting ability, and if he played anywhere else but first base he'd probably have been a higher pick.
37	1105	Brett Barber	Ohio	Blue Jays	RHP	Senior
Barber was the most popular choice out of the bullpen for the Bobcats, appearing in 30 games and posting a 4.37 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. He's also the owner of a pretty sweet mustache, which always plays well in the majors. I am surprised at the pick, based on his senior year stats, but good for him.