Four More Buckeyes Selected in 2015 MLB Draft – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 10, 2015
RELATED INFO
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State senior left-hander Ryan Riga was selected in the 13th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft by the Chicago White Sox, while senior right fielder Pat Porter was picked in the 15th round by the Houston Astros Wednesday. In addition, Ryan Feltner, a member of the 2015-16 recruiting class, also was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 25th round, while redshirt sophomore Shea Murray was picked in the 39th round by the Texas Rangers. In all, five Buckeyes were selected to the 50th first-year player MLB Draft.
Riga, from Fairfield, Ohio, went 5-4 with a 3.32 ERA in 14 starts, tossing a season-high 97.2 innings pitched with 71 strikeouts to be named a third team All-Big Ten selection. He was tied for eighth in the league in strikeouts (71) and tied for first in doubles allowed (4). Riga broke the OSU scoreless innings record, tossing 30.2 shutout innings. In Big Ten play, Riga was 2-1 with a 3.95 ERA in eight starts in over 54 innings pitched and claimed 36 strikeouts to help lead the Buckeyes back to the conference tournament for the fifth straight year.
A native of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Porter wrapped up an impressive senior season as the OSU right fielder earned first team All-Big Ten and second team All-Region honors. He led the Buckeyes in hitting with a season-high .338 batting average with 43 runs scored, 71 hits, nine doubles, four triples, 11 home runs and 49 RBI with a .576 slugging percentage. Porter ranked in the Top 5 in multiple Big Ten offensive categories, including slugging percentage, home runs, RBI and total bases. He also is the OSU career triples holder with 15.
Murray, from Defiance, Ohio, made six appearances out of the Buckeye bullpen, striking out 12 batters in 7.2 innings pitched in 2015. A two-year letterwinner, Murray has made 11 appearances the past two seasons after redshirting in 2013.
Feltner, a native of Hudson, Ohio, was named the 2015 Gatorade Ohio Baseball Player of the Year this past week. He was 7-2 with 56 strikeouts in 51 innings pitched to help lead Walsh Jesuit to a 26-4 record and the Division I Canton regional tournament. A 2014 First Team All-State selection, Feltner was named Walsh Jesuit Pitcher of the Year three times and he earned underclass high school honorable mention laurels by Perfect Game. He was named a Top 10 Ohio Player on Prep Baseball Report all four years. Feltner also is a Top 100 High School Pitcher by Perfect Game and was recognized as a top prospect in 2013 by Louisville Slugger.
Ohio State sophomore right-hander Travis Lakins was selected in the sixth round Tuesday by the Boston Red Sox. A native of Franklin, Ohio, Lakins went 4-4 with a 3.75 ERA in 15 starts with 84 strikeouts in 96.0 innings pitched. In his first year in the weekend rotation, Lakins was fourth in the conference in strikeouts in Big Ten games (46) and tied for sixth with four conference victories.
