Hoosiers Now

Indiana Pitchers Gabe Bierman, Tommy Sommer, Matt Litwicki Also Drafted on Tuesday

Three more Indiana pitchers – Gabe Bierman, Tommy Sommer and Matt Litwicki – got drafted by major-league teams on Tuesday night, giving the Hoosiers four picks in the first 10 rounds. McCade Brown was chosen earlier in the day.

Tom Brew

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.  – There was a good reason why Indiana ranked No. 3 in the country in earned run average this season. Several reasons, actually. The Hoosiers had several great arms, both in the starting rotation and in the bullpen.

That became blatantly obvious on Tuesday when four Indiana pitchers were taken in the 2021 MLB Draft. Starter McCade Brown went early in the day, in the third round to the Colorado Rockies, and in the evening, fellow starters Gabe Bierman and Tommy Sommer and closer Matt Litwicki were all chosen as well

Bierman went in the seventh round to the Miami Marlins, Litwicki was chosen by the Boston Red Sox in the 10th round and Sommer went a few picks later in the 10th round to the Chicago White Sox.

Here's a breakdown on how the draft played out, and what they did at Indiana:

Gabe Bierman, Miami Marlins 7th round

Bierman was taken by the Miami Marlins in the seventh round, with the 209th pick in the draft. He was an All-Big Ten second-team selection in 2021 after posting a 2.68 ERA, which ranked second in the Big Ten. He had a 5-4 record over 74 innings and held opponents to a .179 batting average.

Bierman ranked 24th in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (5.72) and recorded 80 strikeouts. In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Bierman went 2-1 with a team-best 2.45 ERA in 22.0 innings pitched with 24 strikeouts.

He was a high school star at Jeffersonville and, as a rookie in 2019, he went 4-0 with two saves while appearing in 20 games and making five starts. He posted a 3.56 ERA, allowed 37 hits over 48 innings and struck out 46.

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Matt Litwicki, Boston Red Sox 10th round

Matt Litwicki was taken by the Boston Red Sox early in the 10th round, with the 286th overall pick. 

Litwicki is a Dyer, Ind., native who had a great prep career at Lake Central High School. He came to Bloomington in 2017, but missed his first season after having Tommy John surgery. He saw limited action in 2019, but was pitching great out of the bullpen in 2020 before the season shut down, allowing just one run in 10 innings and allowed opponents to bat just .154 against him.

This year, he took over the closer's role and was dominant early in the season. In his first eight outings, he allowed no runs, only one hit and had 13 strikeouts in just 8 2/3 innings. 

Litwicki benefitted greatly from offseason workouts and was throwing in the high 90s all season long. 

Tommy Sommer, Chicago White Sox 10th round

Tommy Sommer was picked by the Chicago White Sox in the 10th round, going at pick No. 305. 

Sommer, a former prep star at Carmel High School, is a crafty left-hander who spent four years in Bloomington as well and emerged as the Hoosiers' Friday starter this year. He was great most of the year, until a finger injury derailed his last couple of starts.

Prior to those final two starts when he was roughed up because of a split nail on his throwing hand, Sommer was 5-2 with a 3.26 ERA. He was the Big Ten's Pitcher of the Week in early March and the Hoosiers won eight of his first 10 starts. At that point, he led the league in wins, starts and innings pitched.

The MLB Draft is different from the NFL and NBA because budgets often dictate picks, and plenty of negotiating gets done beforehand. That was the case with Sommer and the White Sox. 

"It was kind of surreal day (Tuesday). I wasn't expecting to be drafted that early either,'' Sommer said by phone on Wednesday. ''I got a call from the White Sox early in the day and they were looking for some experienced left-handed pitching at that No. 10 spot. They were having budget issues, because they drafted quite a few high school kids early.

"They gave me a number, and asked me if they took me at that spot, would I take it? I told them yes, but then I just had to wait and see all day how the draft played out. I didn't even tell my parents, but then about five minutes before my game started, I got the call and it was done.''

Sommer is currently playing for Falmouth in the Cape Cod League. He has pitched three scoreless innings in two appearances thus far, allowing just one hit. He said he'll likely be heading to Arizona to start his pro career, but will wait in the next day or two to hear from the White Sox about their plans.

"It all happened pretty fast, and it was kind of a shock,'' he said. "But it's a great thing to be drafted. All that work, all those years, it's just a thrill to see it all pay off. I really makes you appreciate all the people, family and friends, that helped you out along the way. It was great to get some many texts and phone calls.

"It was a great day, and I'm really excited about what comes next. It was a fun day too, with all the other guys getting drafted, and it was nice to be a part of it myself. I'll never forget it, that's for sure.''

Related stories on Indiana baseball

  • McCADE BROWN PICKED IN THIRD ROUND (July 12): With the 79th overall pick in the third round, Indiana starter McCade Brown was picked by the Colorado Rockies, and he called it ''a dream come true.'' CLICK HERE
  • TOMMY SOMMER PROFILE (May 6): Despite his lofty numbers, Tommy Sommer knows he can be better, especially when he gets his control tightened up. CLICK HERE
  • MATT LITWICKI PROFILE (April 23): Matt Litwicki is a commanding presence when he's standing on the mound. Mix in those steely eyes and that intense bulldog mentality, and Indiana's closer has hitters shaking in their cleats because he's got a killer fastball that's pushing 100 mph on many days.  CLICK HERE
  • GABE BIERMAN PROFILE (April 22): Gabe Bierman has turned into a dominating performer in Indiana's rotation, and he's been relishing his role as a Sunday starter, getting one huge win after after another the Hoosiers. CLICK HERE
Published
Tom Brew
TOM BREW

Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who has worked at some of America's finest newspapers as a reporter and editor, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the Indianapolis Star and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered college sports in the digital platform for the past six years, including the last five years as publisher of HoosiersNow on the FanNation/Sports Illustrated network.

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