masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Orioles tonight selected right-hander Cody Sedlock from the University of Illinois with their first selection as the 27th overall pick of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft. The Orioles also selected left-hander Keegan Akin at No. 54 overall from Western Michigan University and right-hander Matthias Dietz at No. 69 overall from John A. Logan College (IL).
Sedlock, 20, went 10-6 with a 2.96 ERA (54 ER/164.1 IP) and 175 strikeouts in 47 games (19 starts) over three seasons with the University…

The Orioles tonight selected right-hander Cody Sedlock from the University of Illinois with their first selection as the 27th overall pick of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft. The Orioles also selected left-hander Keegan Akin at No. 54 overall from Western Michigan University and right-hander Matthias Dietz at No. 69 overall from John A. Logan College (IL).

Sedlock, 20, went 10-6 with a 2.96 ERA (54 ER/164.1 IP) and 175 strikeouts in 47 games (19 starts) over three seasons with the University of Illinois. In 14 starts this season with the Illini, Sedlock went 5-3 with a 2.49 ERA (28 ER/101.1 IP) and 116 strikeouts. As a junior in 2016, he was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, a First Team All-American by Baseball America and a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection. Sedlock set the University of Illinois single-season strikeout record (116) in 2016, leading the Big Ten in strikeouts. Sedlock finished his career ranking second in University of Illinois history with a 1.86 ERA in Big Ten games. He was rated as the No. 26 overall draft prospect by MLB.com and No. 42 overall in Baseball America‘s Top 200 Prospects. As a student-athlete at Alleman High School in Rock Island, Ill., Sedlock earned three varsity letters in baseball and was a two-time All-Western Big Six selection in 2012-13. He becomes the first collegiate pitcher to be selected by the Orioles in the first round of the First-Year Player Draft since right-hander Kevin Gausman (Louisiana State University) in 2012.

Akin, 21, went 7-4 with a 1.82 ERA (22 ER/109.0 IP) and 133 strikeouts over 17 starts with Western Michigan University in 2016. His 133 strikeouts this season set the Western Michigan University single-season record. Akin was named a Third Team All-American by Baseball America after being voted First Team All-Mid-American Conference (MAC), named to the All-MAC Defensive Team, MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, All-MAC Tournament Team and won the MAC West Player of the Week honor twice this season. As a student-athlete at Bullock Creek High School in Midland, Mich., Akin was named the Saginaw News/MLive.com Baseball Player of the Year as a senior in 2013.

Dietz, 20, went 12-1 with a 1.22 ERA (14 ER/103.0 IP) and 117 strikeouts in 13 starts with John A. Logan College in 2016. He was ranked as the No. 102 overall draft prospect by MLB.com and No. 96 in Baseball America‘s Top 200 Prospects. As a student-athlete at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, Ill., Dietz was a 2014 Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American.

The draft will continue Friday, June 10, on MLB.com with Rounds 3-10, beginning at 1 p.m., and conclude on Saturday, June 11, with Rounds 11-40 starting at noon.