Michigan State’s Broecker Drafted By Tampa Bay In 13th Round Of MLB Draft
7/11/2023 5:46:00 PM | Baseball
Three Spartans drafted for first time since 2019.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State baseball player Bryan Broecker was selected in the 13th round with the 339th overall pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in the Major League Baseball Draft, which concluded Tuesday afternoon.
Broecker is the third Spartan drafted, joining teammate Mitch Jebb in the second round and Brock Vradenburg in the third round, marking the first time that MSU had three draft selections in the same draft since 2019, when Mitchell Tyranski (12th round), Indigo Diaz (27th round) and Marty Bechina (32nd round) were all picked.
Additionally, Broecker is the first ever Spartan to be drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
With Broecker's selection in the 2023 MLB Draft, Michigan State has now had 38 draft selections under head coach Jake Boss Jr., while Jebb is the highest selection and Vradenburg is the second-highest in the 15 seasons under Coach Boss.
The three Spartans selected in the first 13 rounds in the most since 2016 when three MSU players were selected in the first 10th round with Cam Vieaux (6th round), Jordan Zimmerman (7th round) and Dakota Mekkes (10th round) in 2016. Before Jebb's selection Sunday night in the second round, MSU's last MLB Draft pick was Mason Erla in 2021.
Broecker, a redshirt-sophomore catcher from Chicago, Ill., was a Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List honoree. He topped the B1G in caught stealing by (20), seven more than the No. 2 spot. At the plate, Broecker was just outside the top 10 in the league in several offensive categories, including tied for 16th in on-base percentage (.441), 20th in on-base + slugging pct (OPS) at .970, 22nd in batting average (.318) and 27th slugging percentage (.529). The Spartan catcher hit eight doubles, two triples and eight home runs, knocking 36 RBI and drawing 31 walks in playing in 47 games, starting 41 games at catcher and five games at third base.
Furthermore, Broecker was fourth on MSU with 16 multiple-hit games, led by a season-high four hits vs. Western Illinois a day after his two HR outing (April 15), adding three hits in two other outings. He was also tied for fourth on the team with eight multiple RBI games, led by a career-high and team season-best six RBI at Rutgers (April 1). Broecker had a season-high seven-game hit streak (May 12-20), adding a six-game hitting streak (April 23-May 5). He also had a season-long 17-game reached base streak.
Broecker's season highlights also included being named to Collegiate Baseball's Players of the Week list on April 17 following his performance in MSU's four wins in the week, as he posted a slash line of .467 / .556 / 1.267 and knocked four home runs on the week, including two in the comeback win for his first career two-HR game, helping MSU rally from down 8-3 in sixth inning for a 10-9 win over Western Illinois on April 14.
He was also 4-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored in the second game of the DH on April 15, as the Spartans swept the twinbill and the weekend series over the Leathernecks, winning the doubleheader, 12-2 in seven innings and 11-1 in eight innings. The game included an hour and four-minute weather delay in the top of the eighth inning. The Spartan sophomore finished the weekend going 6-for-9 with half of his hits going for home runs, driving in five and scoring seven runs, drawing three walks. For the week, Broecker was 7-for-15 with six RBI and eight runs scored in playing in four of the five games.
The Spartans had four players drafted in the 2019 MLB Draft: Mitchell Tyranski was selected in the 12th round (pick number 371 overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Indigo Diaz was selected in the 27th round (pick number 871 overall) by the Atlanta Braves and Marty Bechina was selected in the 32nd round (pick number 974 overall) by the Oakland Athletics.
In 2018, Riley McCauley was selected in the 14th round (pick number 428 overall) by the Chicago Cubs. In 2017, three former MSU players were selected MLB Draft: Alex Troop (Washington, ninth round, 283 overall), Brandon Hughes (Chicago Cubs, 16th round, 495 overall), Nathan Witt (Los Angeles Dodgers, 17th round, 520 overall) and Joe Mockbee (Chicago White Sox, 29th round, 867 overall).
MSU had four juniors selected in the 2016 draft: Cam Vieaux (sixth round, Pittsburgh), Jordan Zimmerman (seventh round, Los Angeles Angles), Dakota Mekkes (10th round, Chicago Cubs) and Matt Byars (24th round, Minnesota). The year prior, a school-record eight players were taken in 2015: Cam Gibson (fifth round, Detroit), Ryan Krill (ninth round, New York Yankees), Anthony Misiewicz (18th round, Seattle), Cam Vieaux (19th round, Detroit), Jeff Kinley (28th round, Miami), Mick VanVossen (28th round, Washington), Blaise Salter (31st round, Detroit) and Mark Weist (37th round, San Francisco).
EL ➡️ TB
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) July 11, 2023
Congrats Bryan Broecker!!#GoGreen | #SpartansInTheBigLeagues | @BryanBroecker pic.twitter.com/TJZp1egn6u
Broecker is the third Spartan drafted, joining teammate Mitch Jebb in the second round and Brock Vradenburg in the third round, marking the first time that MSU had three draft selections in the same draft since 2019, when Mitchell Tyranski (12th round), Indigo Diaz (27th round) and Marty Bechina (32nd round) were all picked.
Additionally, Broecker is the first ever Spartan to be drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
With Broecker's selection in the 2023 MLB Draft, Michigan State has now had 38 draft selections under head coach Jake Boss Jr., while Jebb is the highest selection and Vradenburg is the second-highest in the 15 seasons under Coach Boss.
The three Spartans selected in the first 13 rounds in the most since 2016 when three MSU players were selected in the first 10th round with Cam Vieaux (6th round), Jordan Zimmerman (7th round) and Dakota Mekkes (10th round) in 2016. Before Jebb's selection Sunday night in the second round, MSU's last MLB Draft pick was Mason Erla in 2021.
Broecker, a redshirt-sophomore catcher from Chicago, Ill., was a Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List honoree. He topped the B1G in caught stealing by (20), seven more than the No. 2 spot. At the plate, Broecker was just outside the top 10 in the league in several offensive categories, including tied for 16th in on-base percentage (.441), 20th in on-base + slugging pct (OPS) at .970, 22nd in batting average (.318) and 27th slugging percentage (.529). The Spartan catcher hit eight doubles, two triples and eight home runs, knocking 36 RBI and drawing 31 walks in playing in 47 games, starting 41 games at catcher and five games at third base.
Furthermore, Broecker was fourth on MSU with 16 multiple-hit games, led by a season-high four hits vs. Western Illinois a day after his two HR outing (April 15), adding three hits in two other outings. He was also tied for fourth on the team with eight multiple RBI games, led by a career-high and team season-best six RBI at Rutgers (April 1). Broecker had a season-high seven-game hit streak (May 12-20), adding a six-game hitting streak (April 23-May 5). He also had a season-long 17-game reached base streak.
Broecker's season highlights also included being named to Collegiate Baseball's Players of the Week list on April 17 following his performance in MSU's four wins in the week, as he posted a slash line of .467 / .556 / 1.267 and knocked four home runs on the week, including two in the comeback win for his first career two-HR game, helping MSU rally from down 8-3 in sixth inning for a 10-9 win over Western Illinois on April 14.
He was also 4-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored in the second game of the DH on April 15, as the Spartans swept the twinbill and the weekend series over the Leathernecks, winning the doubleheader, 12-2 in seven innings and 11-1 in eight innings. The game included an hour and four-minute weather delay in the top of the eighth inning. The Spartan sophomore finished the weekend going 6-for-9 with half of his hits going for home runs, driving in five and scoring seven runs, drawing three walks. For the week, Broecker was 7-for-15 with six RBI and eight runs scored in playing in four of the five games.
The Spartans had four players drafted in the 2019 MLB Draft: Mitchell Tyranski was selected in the 12th round (pick number 371 overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Indigo Diaz was selected in the 27th round (pick number 871 overall) by the Atlanta Braves and Marty Bechina was selected in the 32nd round (pick number 974 overall) by the Oakland Athletics.
In 2018, Riley McCauley was selected in the 14th round (pick number 428 overall) by the Chicago Cubs. In 2017, three former MSU players were selected MLB Draft: Alex Troop (Washington, ninth round, 283 overall), Brandon Hughes (Chicago Cubs, 16th round, 495 overall), Nathan Witt (Los Angeles Dodgers, 17th round, 520 overall) and Joe Mockbee (Chicago White Sox, 29th round, 867 overall).
MSU had four juniors selected in the 2016 draft: Cam Vieaux (sixth round, Pittsburgh), Jordan Zimmerman (seventh round, Los Angeles Angles), Dakota Mekkes (10th round, Chicago Cubs) and Matt Byars (24th round, Minnesota). The year prior, a school-record eight players were taken in 2015: Cam Gibson (fifth round, Detroit), Ryan Krill (ninth round, New York Yankees), Anthony Misiewicz (18th round, Seattle), Cam Vieaux (19th round, Detroit), Jeff Kinley (28th round, Miami), Mick VanVossen (28th round, Washington), Blaise Salter (31st round, Detroit) and Mark Weist (37th round, San Francisco).
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