Three Horizon League players chosen in MLB annual draft

June 9, 2007

Ryan Zink, RHP, UIC
New York Yankees, 17th round, 544th overall selection
Chicago, Ill.- UIC junior righthander Ryan Zink (Madison, Wis./La Follette H.S.) was selected by the New York Yankees in the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Friday. The Bronx Bombers took Zink in the 17th round with the 544th overall pick.

Zink went 7-3 in 2007, his first season back on the mound after undergoing Tommy John surgery to his right elbow last year. He posted a 4.42 earned run average in 70 innings of work that spanned 13 starts.

He saved his best for last, tossing 15 consecutive innings without an earned run in his last two starts.

Zink blanked Wright State in the Horizon League Baseball Championship on May 25th, striking out five while allowing just five hits in seven innings.

On June 1st Zink turned in the best pitching performance in UIC history at the NCAA Long Beach Regional, one-hitting 16th-ranked and top-seeded Long Beach State for eight innings and striking out five Dirtbags in the Flames' 4-1 victory and first-ever NCAA Regional win.

In three years at UIC Zink has a record of 24-12 with six saves and a career ERA of 3.33. He is the last UIC pitcher to throw a no-hitter, accomplishing the feat as a freshman against Youngstown State on May 16, 2004.

Zink just began his second stint with the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League collegiate baseball summer team this week after returning from Long Beach with the Flames.

Stephen Procner, LHP, Cleveland State
Baltimore Orioles, 28th round, 849th overall selection
Cleveland, Ohio - The playing career of Cleveland State senior pitcher Stephen Procner has been extended after the lefthanded pitcher was selected by the Baltimore Orioles with the 849th pick (28th round) of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Procner is the first Viking selected in the MLB Draft since Jeff Haase (Cleveland) and Keith Lillash (Cleveland) were chosen in 2000.

"I am very happy for Stephen," CSU head coach Kevin Kocks said. "He worked very hard this year to emerge as one of the top pitchers in the Horizon League and his selection today is proof of his ability as a pitcher.

"You have to take his statistics with a grain of salt because he could have easily won 10 games had we been able to support him better offensively.

A 6-2, 200-pounder from Girard, OH, Procner went 4-9 with a 4.31 ERA for the Vikings in 2007. He threw 100.1 innings, including four complete games, allowing 102 hits with 75 strikeouts and 44 walks.

Procner was named to the all-tournament team at the 2007 Horizon League Championship, throwing a six-hit complete game in a 6-1 win over Butler in the opening round. He ended the year leading the league in innings pitched and strikeouts while also ranking second in starts (15), third in lowest batting average allowed (.235) and eighth in ERA.

A four-year letterwinner, Procner was 6-21 with a 6.35 ERA in his CSU career.

Ross Oeder, IF, Wright State
St. Louis Cardinals, 28th round, 862nd overall selection
Dayton, Ohio - After a stellar senior season and a solid career in the infield as part of the Wright State baseball team, Ross Oeder was selected in the 28th Round by the St. Louis Cardinals. Oeder becomes the 19th player in school history to be selected in the Major League draft.

Oeder was the 2007 Horizon League Player of the Year and was named to the Collegiate Baseball Magazine Second Team All-American had one of the most prolific seasons, both offensively and defensively, in school history. The senior became only the fifth player to post a season batting average of over .400, finishing the season at .408, and helped WSU to their second straight 30-win season.

Oeder was a First Team All-Conference selection this season and paced the Horizon League in runs scored (79), stolen bases (25), total bases (148), on-base percentage (.496) and slugging percentage (.649). He ranked among the top-ten in every statistical category this season, ranking among the top-five in 11 of the 12.

This season Oeder set the school standard for defensive assists (170) and runs scored (79) in a season. His 23 were second on the team (Justin Parker, 26) and are the fifth most doubles in a season by any player in Horizon League history. Oeder sits among the season leaders in doubles and is fourth in single season runs scored, he is also among the top-ten in league history in career runs scored, hits and triples.

A four-year starter for the Raiders, Oeder started 205 games and played in 219 total contests. The Sandusky native owns five school records and ranks among the top-five in seven career categories. His 584 defensive assists are the most by any player in a career and his 52 hit-by-pitch surpass the old mark by 19. The senior became the first player in school history to be named to the College Baseball Foundation's National Player of the Week Honor Roll, garnering the honor three times, and ranked among the nation's elite in six offensive categories.

Stories provided by the UIC, Cleveland State and Wright State sports information offices