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Baltimore Orioles snag big-time Illinois baseball pitcher in 2024 MLB Draft

The 2024 MLB Draft continues on, and the Illinois baseball team has a player off the board.

ByRees Woodcock|
May 31, 2024; Lexington, KY, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini pitcher Jack Crowder (39) throws a pitch during the third inning against the Indiana State Sycamores at Kentucky Proud Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
May 31, 2024; Lexington, KY, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini pitcher Jack Crowder (39) throws a pitch during the third inning against the Indiana State Sycamores at Kentucky Proud Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports | Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

The first player is off the board for the Illinois baseball team in the 2024 MLB Draft.

It was a quiet first day for the Illini, the first round came and went without a selection. Seven more rounds riffled through, and then it happened. The first Illinois player was selected.

In round nine, pick No. 279, the Baltimore Orioles selected pitcher Jack Crowder. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound right-handed fireballer spent four seasons in Champaign and improved each year for the Orange and Blue.

This past season, Crowder was a pivotal piece to the Illinois squad. He was 7-2 in 16 starts, and he finished with a 4.88 ERA in 90.1 innings.

Crowder’s rise in the Illinois program has been quite impressive. As a freshman, he appeared in nine games, and his final ERA that season was 12.10. Crowder gave up 13 earned runs in 9.2 innings.

From that point on, Crowder continued to improve. In 2023, he had a 7.87 ERA in 42.1 innings pitched. He nearly cut that in half this season with a 4.88 ERA. On top of the ERA improving, opponents batting average decreased greatly as well. Crowder allowed opponents to a career-low batting average of .217.

The Baltimore Orioles seem to be a hot spot for Illinois baseball players to land in the MLB Draft

It is exciting that another member of the Illinois baseball team will start their journey in the majors. Crowder is added to a list that keeps on growing.

Getting picked in the MLB Draft is nothing new to Illinois players and neither is heading to Baltimore. The Orioles seem to have a liking for what Champaign produces.

In the past decade, the Orioles have now selected four Illinois players with Crowder being the most recent. They also picked Doran Turchin in the 14th round in 2018, Cody Sedlock in the 1st round in 2016, and Adam Walton in the 20th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. Since 2008, the Orioles have selected six Illinois baseball players overall.

Crowder is next in line to be a mainstay in the MLB. Let’s see how quickly he can work his way up the minor league system and into an Orioles uniform.

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