Kehrer is a junior left-hander from New Baden, Ill. Should he sign with the Angels, as expected, he would forego his final season of collegiate eligibility.
He is the highest EIU player selected in the annual MLB Draft since Stan Royer was picked in the first round (16th overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 1988. Kehrer is also third-highest EIU draftee overall.
“We thought he'd go high, especially with how he pitched at the end of the year,” EIU head coach Jim Schmitz said. “He kept getting better and better and it seemed like more and more scouts kept coming to see him. This is unbelievable; I'm just really excited for him.”
Furthermore, Kehrer is the second-highest player selected from the Ohio Valley Conference since the Panthers joined the league in 1997. Only 2008 first-round selection Christian Friedrich (25th overall), of Eastern Kentucky, was picked earlier. A Panther has been the first OVC player selected in the MLB Draft in two the last three years. Erik Huber, the last EIU player to be drafted, was picked by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 12th round of 2007.
The Angels received the 48th pick in the compensation portion of the first round after losing Jon Garland to the Arizona Diamondbacks as a free-agent signee.
Kehrer was the seventh left-handed pitcher selected from the college ranks and 11th overall in the 2009 draft. He was also the first player selected from Illinois-based university this year.
Kehrer led the OVC in strikeouts (90) and batting average (.213) against in 2009, helping lead EIU to a regular-season conference title. His most dominate performance of the season with a complete-game one-hitter against SIU Edwardsville April 26 in Charleston. He struck out a career-high 14, the second of his three double-figure strikeout performances of the season. SIU Edwardsville did not hit a fair ball out of the infield.
In his three seasons as a Panther, Kehrer struck out 185 batters in 177 2/3 innings pitched. He started 37 games, including an NCAA Regional contest against Oral Roberts in Lincoln, Neb., in 2008.
Day two of the draft (rounds 4-30) will begin at 11 a.m. (CDT) on Wednesday. The draft will conclude on Thursday with rounds 31-50 (beginning at 10:30 a.m.). Brett Nommensen and Jordan Kreke are also projected as draft picks this year.
Eastern Illinois Baseball Draft Picks
Top 10 Rounds (Since 1965)
First Round
Tim Pyznarski (15th overall), 1981 – Oakland Athletics
Stan Royer (16th overall), 1988 – Oakland Athletics
First Round Compensation
Fourth Round
Bobby Castelli (114th overall), 1998 – Montreal Expos
Fifth Round
Jeff Gossett (107th overall), 1978 – New York Mets
Dan Hargis (122nd overall), 1989 – Montreal Expos
Sixth Round
John Burns (114th overall), 1968 – Atlanta Braves
Seventh Round
Marty Pattin (127th overall), 1965 – California Angels
Eighth Round
Tim Bogar (212th overall), 1987 – New York Mets
Brett Nommensen (259th overall), 2009 -- Tampa Bay Rays
Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Draft Picks
Top 10 Rounds (Since EIU joined the OVC in 1997)
First Round
Christian Friedrich, Eastern Kentucky (25th overall), 2008 – Colorado Rockies
Third Round
Jon Rauch, Morehead State (99th overall), 1999 – Chicago White Sox
Ben Tootle, Jacksonville State (101st overall), 2009 -- Minnesota Twins
Fourth Round
Josh Anderson, Eastern Kentucky (119th overall), 2004 – Houston Astros
Sixth Round
James Warden, Tennessee Tech (187th overall), 2001 – Cleveland Indians
Seventh Round
Charlie Yarbrough, Eastern Kentucky (217th overall), 2006 – Philadelphia Phillies
