** During the month of July, EIUPanthers.com will take a look back at 14 events or moments that helped shape the 2018-19 academic year. **

Eastern Illinois baseball had two players selected in this year's Major League Baseball Draft, while a third signed a contract with the Frontier League.

Eastern Illinois baseball had two players selected in this year's Major League Baseball Draft as Michael YaSenka and Jimmy Govern both heard their names called.  Tyler Jones would later sign with the Joliet Slammers in the professional Frontier League. 
 
YaSenka was selected in the 17th round with the 515th overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals.  Govern was taken in the 30th round with the 889th overall pick by the Kansas City Royals.

It marks the first time since the 2012 season that EIU has had multiple players selected in the same draft. 

YaSenka is a junior right-handed pitcher who moved into the role as the Panthers Friday night starter during the season.  YaSenka led the Panthers with 100 strikeouts this season which ranked fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference and was the second best single season total in school history.  He posted a 4-7 record with a 5.56 ERA during the season going five or more innings in 14 of 15 starts.  In his final start at the OVC Tournament, YaSenka pitched six innings allowing one run on five hits with five strikeouts.  His longest outing of the season was eight innings against Murray State while he had a season high 11 strikeouts against Eastern Kentucky.  YaSenka began his career at Chesapeake CC in Maryland.
 
Govern was one of the top power hitters in school history during his four seasons with the Panthers.  Govern was a two-time first-team All-OVC selection at second base and recently was named a third team All-American by Collegiate Baseball becoming only the second Division I All-American in program history.  This season Govern hit .326 with 16 doubles, 16 home runs and 52 RBI.  Earlier this season he hit for the cycle in a win at Alabama State.  Govern completed his career ranking fourth in career home runs with 35, sixth in career RBI with 143 and seventh in career runs scored with 157. 

Jones pitched two years for the Panthers earning second team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors as a junior making 12 starts in 13 appearances.  Jones would finish the season with a 7-3 record and 54 strikeouts.   As a senior Jones became a versatile pitcher for the EIU staff that could either start or come out of the bullpen.  He would make 15 appearances striking out 42 batters in 46.2 innings on the mound.