CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois pitcher
Michael McCormick will continue his professional baseball career after being selected in the 34th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago White Sox.
McCormick, from Speedway, Ind., is a 6-3 right handed pitcher that made 12 starts for the Panthers on the mound this past season. He posted 48 strike outs in 66.2 innings of work. He finished the year with a 1-6 record and a 7.43 earned run average. As a starter for the EIU club this past season he worked five or more innings on the mound in eight of his 12 starts. His lone win of the season came out of the bullpen.
In addition incoming EIU freshman infielder D.J. Stewart was selected in the 39th round by the Philadelphia Phillies. Stewart played at Westminster Christian Academy in Missouri.
McCormick becomes the first EIU player to be selected in the MLB Draft since 2014 when Matt Borens was taken in the 11th round by the New York Yankees. He is the first Panther drafted by the White Sox since Dave Diamond in 1972.
McCormick should be assigned to either the White Sox Rookie League Team in Great Falls, Montana or their South Atlantic League Low-A team in Kannapolis, North Carolina.Â
