Brewers: Draft heavy on arms, hard-to-sign players
By Phil Watson
Prairie du Sac’s Sam Koenig, who just finished his career for the Milwaukee Panthers, was taken in the 27th round by the Los Angeles Angels. (Photo courtesy UWM athletics)
On the third day of the draft, six other players with Wisconsin ties joined Kyle Cody (Chippewa Falls, University of Kentucky) as 2015 draftees.
Mitch Ghelfi of UW-Milwaukee was taken by the Brewers in the 28th round. The other selections included:
Brendon Hayden, Twin Lakes (Virginia Tech)
Hayden, 22, is a left-handed hitting first baseman for Virginia Tech who was a first-team All-ACC pick after hitting .307/.389/.542 in 54 games, with 11 homers and 51 RBI. He was taken in the 16th round (No. 474 overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies had also drafted Hayden out of Wilmot Union High School in 2011, taking him in the 36th round.
Justin Langley, Beloit (UW-Milwaukee)
Langley, 20, went two picks after Hayden, 476th overall, in the 16th round to the Miami Marlins after a junior year during which he was 6-2 with a 3.33 ERA in 67.2 innings. Langley made 15 appearances, 14 of them starts, and struck out 74 while walking 36.
Elliot Ashbeck, Marshfield (Bradley University)
Ashbeck was 11-5 in 17 starts as a junior for Bradley last season as a junior. The 21-year-old right-hander had a 3.55 ERA in 101.1 innings, striking out 82. He also hit .264/.353/.411 with two homers and 31 RBI, playing first base and designated hitter.
He was taken immediately after Langley at No. 477 overall by the San Diego Padres in the 16th round.
Sam Koenig, Prairie du Sac (UW-Milwaukee)
Koenig bounced back from hip surgery that cost him most of the 2014 season, receiving a medical hardship redshirt year and coming back to hit .361/.454/.657 with 15 homers and 57 RBI for the Panthers this season.
He also belted 19 doubles and scored 58 runs. A left fielder, the 23-year-old is 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds and has a ton of power.
Koenig was the 825th overall pick, taken in the 27th round by the Los Angeles Angels.
Next: Brewers Take OF, 2 Arms On First Day Of Draft