By Chris Kutz, K-State Athletics Communications
(Photos courtesy Kansas State Athletics)
Two-time All-Big 12 First Team honoree Shane Conlon, selected in the 34th round by the Oakland Athletics, and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention Max Brown, drafted in the 37th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks, were joined by five K-State signees taken on the final day of the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
A total of three current Wildcats and six signees were selected over the three-day draft, with Conlon and Brown being joined by Nate Griep to form the trio of ‘Cats. K-State has now had at least three players taken in each of the last eight MLB Drafts for a total of 34 selections since 2007.
Pitchers John Boushelle and Jacob Ruder, infielders Luke Doyle and Ethan Skender, and catcher Josh Rolette joined fourth-round pick Willie Calhoun to make up the group of six signees selected. Rolette was the first future Wildcat taken on Wednesday as he was drafted in the 18th round (551st overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals and was followed by Doyle (20th round, 611th overall by St. Louis), Boushelle (20th round, 612th overall by Los Angeles Dodgers), Skender (31st round, 925th overall by the Cincinnati Reds), and Ruder (37th round, 1,119th overall by the Kansas City Royals).
The six signees drafted are the most ever under head coach Brad Hill, surpassing the previous high of four (2008, 2010).
A redshirt senior, Conlon is coming off a final season in a Wildcat uniform in which he was among K-State leaders in batting average, hits, doubles and stolen bases, helping him become just the second Wildcat in the Big 12 era to be named all-conference first team twice in a career.
The native of Naperville, Illinois finished with a .300 career batting average as a Wildcat. He collected 207 hits, which are the 15th-most in program history, in his 690 at-bats and is third on K-State’s all-time career games list (212). The first baseman also registered a career fielding percentage of .991, never committing more than five errors in a single season.
Taken with the first pick of the 37th round, Brown wrapped up his K-State career this past season with personal-bests in hits, doubles, triples, RBIs, walks and games played. He appeared in each of the Wildcats’ 57 contests, leading K-State in RBIs, hits and triples. The outfielder’s six triples were the most by a Wildcat since 2011 and are tied for the seventh-most in a single season in program history.
A native of Seattle, Washington, Brown hit .298 (89-for-299) with 21 extra-base hits and 49 RBIs in 100 career games at K-State. He transferred from Bellevue Community College (WA) in 2013 and has also played for the New Zealand national team in two international tournaments.
A catcher from Shawnee, Oklahoma, Rolette helped lead Shawnee High School to a 32-5 record and its first ever 5A state title this past season. As a senior, he hit .489 with seven home runs and 48 RBIs during the regular season, helping him be named all-state by the Oklahoma Coaches Association.
Doyle, a teammate of Calhoun’s at Yavapai College, played in all 63 games for the Roughriders this season, hitting .373 (85-for-228) with 11 doubles, 12 home runs, 53 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. Meanwhile, Doyle’s 81 runs scored were the fifth-most in the nation. For his efforts, the second baseman was named First Team All-ACCAC for the second season in a row.
In two seasons at Yavapai, Doyle, a product of Deer Valley High School in Glendale, Arizona, batted .371 (150-for-404) with 29 doubles, 3 triples, 18 home runs, 57 RBIs and 26 stolen bases in 113 games. Last summer, Doyle was named one of Baseball America’s top-10 prospects in the Jayhawk League after he was named the league’s MVP playing for the Wellington Heat.
A right-hander from Fayetteville High School (AR), Boushelle turned in a 5-1 record with a 0.93 ERA (5er, 37.2ip), 44 strikeouts and a .172 batting average against as a senior. For his high school career, the hurler, who also played first base, had a 1.56 ERA in 12 appearances.
A middle infield product of Metamora Township High School (IL), Skender had more than 15 home runs in his high school career, including 11 as a junior in 2014. He hit nearly .400 at the varsity level as well, driving in over 60 runs and scoring another 70.
Ruder, a 6-7 right-hander twirler from Nixa, Missouri, is a product of Nixa High School, where he played baseball and basketball. Ruder was a key piece for Nixa as a junior, helping the school win a district championship by tossing a no-hitter in the sectional round.
