During this years MLB draft, that took place on June 4th through June 6, NIU baseball’s very own, pitcher, Jake Hermsen was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers as the 866th overall pick in the 28th round.

Hermsen is the first player from NIU to be drafted since 2008 when Bobby Stevens and Trevor Feeney were both selected in the 16th round by the Baltimore Orioles and the 31st round by the Detroit Tigers, respectively.

Hermsen becomes the ninth player to be drafted in the MLB since head coach Ed Mathey got the job 10 years ago.

“It’s a great day for Jake and Northern Illinois baseball,” said Head Coach Ed Mathey in a press release, “Regardless of what round it is, it’s always a good thing to be drafted. It allows the opportunity to play professional baseball and Jake has a passion for that.”

Hermsen finished with a career record of 8-12 on the mound, 149 strikeouts, and an earned run average of 6.89.

He posted his career high in strikeouts in his final season on May 5 when he recorded 11 strikeouts while also posting his second career complete game.