OSU Baseball: Cowboys Tie Program Record With 11 Draft Picks

Oklahoma State had 11 players drafted in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft, tying a program record previously set in 2007.

OSU's 11 draft picks tied the Cowboys with Mississippi State for the third most of any Division I program in 2016 behind only Texas A&M (13) and Southern California (12). Seven of the OSU players drafted were pitchers.

After having five players selected in the top 10 rounds of the draft, six Cowboys were chosen on the final day in rounds 11-40.

First to be drafted Saturday was Trey Cobb, who was a 12th-round pick of the Chicago Cubs. A junior right-handed pitcher, Cobb has made 70 appearances in three seasons in an OSU uniform and is 9-9 with six saves and 175 strikeouts in 168.0 innings.

Up next was another junior righty, Michael Mertz, who was taken in the 14th round by Miami. Mertz has made 24 appearances over the last two seasons, seven of those starts, and is 1-3 with a 4.31 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 54.1 innings.

With the final pick of the 15th round, St. Louis selected second baseman J.R. Davis. An All-Big 12 First Team selection in his first season with the Cowboys, the junior leads OSU with a .355 batting average to go along with 12 doubles, two triples, nine stolen bases and 31 RBIs.

The next two Cowboys drafted would go in the 32nd round. First to go was Collin Theroux, who was selected by his home state Oakland A's. OSU's junior catcher, who was a 33rd-round pick by Minnesota a year ago, has started 54 games in his first season in Stillwater and has smacked six homers while driving in 30 runs.
Conor Costello became a three-time MLB Draft pick when he was chosen 19 picks after Theroux as the Los Angeles Dodgers selected the two-way senior as a right-handed pitcher. Costello has made just 12 appearances on the mound in three seasons for OSU but is 3-1 with a save and a 2.96 ERA. He's also collected 20 homers and 92 RBIs as an outfielder/DH.

Costello was previously drafted by Pittsburgh in the 38th round in 2015 and by Cincinnati as a 16th rounder in 2011.

OSU's final draftee of 2016 was junior first baseman Dustin Williams, who was a 36th-round pick of Pittsburgh. The left-handed hitter leads OSU with 14 homers this season and has 23 round trippers and 101 RBIs in 159 games in his three seasons with the Cowboys.

Oklahoma State Cowboys Selected In 2016 Major League Baseball Draft
Thomas Hatch, RHP, So. – 3rd round, pick 104, Chicago Cubs
Donnie Walton, SS, Sr. – 5th round, pick 147, Seattle Mariners
Remey Reed, RHP, Jr. – 6th round, pick 173, Miami Marlins
Garrett Williams, LHP, Jr. – 7th round, pick 215, San Francisco Giants
Tyler Buffett, RHP, Jr. – 7th round, pick 217, Houston Astros
Trey Cobb, RHP, Jr. – 12th round, pick 374, Chicago Cubs
Michael Mertz, RHP, Jr. – 14th round, pick 413, Miami Marlins
J.R. Davis, 2B, Jr. –15th round, pick 466, St. Louis Cardinals
Collin Theroux, C, Jr. – 32nd round, pick 952, Oakland A's
Conor Costello, RHP, Sr. – 32nd round, pick 971, Los Angeles Dodgers
Dustin Williams, 1B, Jr. – 36th round, pick 1,095, Pittsburgh Pirates