DeKALB | Playing baseball in the Major Leagues is usually a dream for most college baseball players, but for former NIU pitcher Jake Hermsen, it has become a reality.

During the MLB draft, June 4-6, in Secaucus, New Jersey, Hermsen was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 28th round as the 866th overall pick.

“My ultimate dream is to make it to the major leagues,” Hermsen said. “This is just a step towards getting up to professional ball and getting the opportunity to play with the Dodgers is pretty exciting. I mean it’s just a step but it has been a really fun and exciting time for me and my family.”

When Hermsen came into NIU out of high school, he was a two-way player that pitched and played the outfield.

After Hermsen’s junior season, he along with coach Ed Mathey and his coaching staff, decided that he should focus only on pitching.

“It was challenging at times for him,” Mathey said. In baseball, sometimes the best teacher is experience. His first outing of his career was on the mound at Arizona State and it didn’t go very well at all, but it opened up his eyes to what the world of Division I baseball is and it helped shape him because he always remembered that.”

Hermsen ended his career at NIU with a record of 8-12, with 149 strikeouts, and an earned run average of 6.89.

He is also the last pitcher at NIU to have two 10-plus strikeout games in his career.

“Jake is a pretty good athlete,” Mathey said. “He’s a left handed pitcher, he has arm strength, he get’s it up from 88-92. He’s starting to get more and more command of his secondary pitches including his slider and his change-up. He’s a guy that can be pretty electric at times, so they will probably hope he can be consistent.”

Once the shock that he had been drafted wore off, Hermsen signed his contract with Dodgers and headed to Glendale, Arizona to meet up with the team and continued on to Utah for advanced-rookie ball.

“I’m looking forward to the fact that I just get to keep playing baseball.” Hermsen said. “It’s my job. I know that a lot of people dream of this and it doesn’t become a reality but I’ve been given this opportunity to play and I’m going to give it everything I got and hopefully keep playing as long as I can.”