Indiana Baseball: Trio of Hoosier Pitchers Selected in 2022 MLB Draft

Three Indiana baseball pitchers were taken in the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft, beginning with right hander Jack Perkins, who was a fifth-round pick by the Oakland Athletics. On day two of the draft, the Baltimore Orioles selected a pair of Hoosier pitchers with Bradley Brehmer in the 12th round and Reese Sharp in the 20th round.

USA Today

The 2022 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft took place from July 17 to July 20, and featured three Indiana baseball players.

On Monday, right-handed pitcher Jack Perkins was selected in the fifth round with the No. 154 overall pick by the Oakland Athletics.  On Tuesday, the Baltimore Orioles drafted a pair of Indiana right-handed pitchers: Bradley Brehmer in the 12th round and Reese Sharp in the 20th round.

With these selections, 11 pitchers have now been drafted under Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer, and Indiana has 114 total draft picks in program history. 

Perkins served as Indiana's Friday night starter during Big Ten play, and led the team with 83 innings pitched by the end of the season. He led all qualifying Indiana pitchers with a 5.10 ERA, a .240 batting average against, 91 strikeouts and 15 games started. In Perkins final appearance against Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament on May 28, Perkins became the 11th Indiana pitcher to strikeout 90 batters in a season. 

Perkins' longest outing of the season came in a 4-2 loss at Rutgers on April 16 when he allowed just one run and three hits in seven innings of work with seven strikeouts. He also had notable performances during non-conference play against Missouri State on March 5 – allowing two hits and one run while striking out seven batters in six innings – and on March 17 when he fanned nine hitters and allowed two runs in six innings against Xavier. Perkins detailed his warrior mindset in this feature story. 

"God is faithful. God is good. This is a dream come true," Perkins said on Twitter. "A journey has ended, but a new journey has just begun. I promise to put in the work every day to help this organization win at the highest level. I won’t let you down Oakland. Thank you for this opportunity. #DrumTogether" 

🔙 to 🔙 quality starts. @JackPerkins06 | #IUBase pic.twitter.com/Bd1YJfEeKH

— Indiana Baseball (@IndianaBase) April 23, 2022

Brehmer transferred to Indiana before the 2022 campaign after pitching at Wright State for three seasons. He made three relief appearances for Indiana before making his first start against Missouri State on March 6, where he allowed three runs in six innings. As Indiana's No. 2 starter, Brehmer won a team-high five games, and held the opponent to three-or-fewer earned runs in eight starts. He was second on the team with a 5.30 ERA, and posted his 200th career strikeout against Minnesota on May 15.

Brehmer's most memorable outing was his last performance for the Hoosiers on the biggest stage. During an elimination game versus Illinois on May 27 at the Big Ten Tournament in Omaha, Neb., Brehmer tossed a complete game with four hits, one run and six strikeouts. This effort led to Big Ten All-Tournament Team honors. 

B1G Bad Brad

9️⃣ innings pitched + 6️⃣ Ks thrown@Bradbrehmer | #IUBase pic.twitter.com/vzcZOnZWCw

— Indiana Baseball (@IndianaBase) May 28, 2022

The third and final Hoosier taken in this year's MLB Draft was Sharp, who was the first pick of the 20th and final round. Sharp started one game for Indiana, and developed into one of Mercer's top options out of the bullpen in 22 relief appearances. He led Indiana with 11 games finished, tied for the team lead with four saves and finished third among Hoosiers with 76 strikeouts. 

When the Hoosiers were in trouble, Mercer typically called on Sharp to wiggle out of the jam. Sharp stranded 19 of 28 inherited runners, throwing more than one inning of relief in 20 outings. Sharp really found his stride in his final 23.1 innings, allowing just three earned runs. Beginning on April 23 at Nebraska until the end of the season, Sharp allowed one or zero hits in eight of 10 appearances. Perhaps Sharp's most memorable outing of the season came on May 1 against Illinois when he struck out six batters and allowed zero runs in 4.1 innings. 

That's a statement! pic.twitter.com/Slt9JZzhqn

— Indiana Baseball (@IndianaBase) May 1, 2022

Related stories on Indiana baseball:

• PERKINS LEADS INDIANA WITH WARRIOR MINDSET: After overcoming Tommy John surgery and an up-and-down career at Louisville, Jack Perkins found a home at Indiana through his faith in God. He's now Indiana's Friday starter, leading the Hoosiers through confidence and toughness. CLICK HERE
• BREHMER TOSSES COMPLETE GAME: Indiana baseball's Bradley Brehmer was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after tossing a complete game in the Hoosiers' 8-1 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini. Brehmer becomes the first Indiana pitcher to earn all-tournament honors since Christian Morris in 2014. CLICK HERE
• SHARP'S GUTSY PERFORMANCE DEFEATS ILLINOIS: Indiana scored eight runs in the fifth inning of Sunday's rubber match against Illinois. Freshman Carter Mathison belted two home runs, and Reese Sharp tossed 4.1 scoreless innings in relief to claim a crucial series victory. CLICK HERE