(Story taken from the Oglethorpe University website)
ATLANTA, Ga. - Oglethorpe University sophomore
pitcher Daniel Sarisky was selected today by Major
League Baseball's Houston Astros in the 40th Round of the 2009 MLB
draft.
Sarisky, a sophomore from Duluth, Ga., was dominant on the mound
this season for Oglethorpe. In 15 appearances, Sarisky compiled a
5-1 record with a sparkling 2.68 ERA. Additionally, Sarisky struck
out an astonishing 65 batters in only 40.1 innings while walking
only 14 opponents.
Sarisky was named as a 2009 All-Southern Collegiate Athletic
Conference First Team pitcher and was an American Baseball Coaches
Association award winner for his stellar work on the mound this
season for the Stormy Petrels.
Sarisky is just the seventh player in Southern Collegiate Athletic
Conference history (founded in 1991) to be selected in the Major
League Baseball draft. Previous selections from the SCAC are
Millsaps' Peter Austin (1997, 40th round by Pittsburgh), Hendrix's
Matt Blanton (2003, 23rd round by St. Louis), Trinity's Jason
Armstrong (2004, 20th round by Toronto), Millsaps' Garner Wetzel
(2005, 10th round by Colorado), Trinity's Nick Vera (2007, 32nd
round by St. Louis) and Trinity's Evan Bronson (2008, 36th round by
Milwaukee). After returning to their respective schools, Wetzel was
drafted again by San Diego in the 2006 18th round and Bronson was
re-drafted by Washington in the 2009 29th round.
If he signs with Houston, Sarisky, a sophomore eligibility-wise,
will be trying to become the tenth former Petrel baseball player to
play for a Major League Baseball team. The most famous Petrel to
play ball at the highest level was another sophomore who left the
campus early to pursue a big league career, Hall of Famer Luke
Appling. Appling was signed by the Atlanta Crackers in 1930 and
went on to play twenty big league seasons for the Chicago White
Sox, compiling a career .310 batting average. Appling was inducted
to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.
The other former Petrels to play Major League Baseball - with
their last year on campus in parentheses - are Al Wingo (1918),
Lucas Turk (1921), Ron Carlyle (1921), Dave Barbee (1926), Jay
Partridge (1925), Greek George (1933), Harry Dean (1941) and Phil
McCullough (1938).