Kyle Friedrichs’ impressive senior season for the Long Beach State baseball team earned him a selection in this year’s MLB draft on Tuesday. The Oakland A’s chose the right-hander in the seventh round as the 218th overall pick.
As for Logan Lombana, the Minnesota Twins picked the reliever in the 25th round on Wednesday. He was the 740th overall pick in the draft.
After spending his sophomore year as a reliever and missing out on his entire junior year due to Tommy John surgery, Friedrichs emerged as the starting ace for the Dirtbags this season.
His 2.79 ERA to go along with his 6-4 record earned him All-Big West second team honors this season. The most striking part of Friedrichs game this year was his absurd strikeout-to-walk ratio; 109 strikeouts to only 12 walked batters all season. The ratio was good for sixth in the nation.
While Friedrichs was not a highly touted prospect coming out of San Clemente High School, his impressive resume as a Dirtbag earned him national recognition. He doesn’t blow hitters away with his fastball speed, but his four-pitch mix of sinkers, sliders, changeups and fastballs keeps opposing batters guessing.
Lombana spent the last three seasons with the Dirtbags coming out of the bullpen. This year was his most productive as he recorded a 4.34 ERA, with 27 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched.
He showed the traditional Dirtbag characteristics of grit and toughness through the course of the season. He now has the opportunity to bring that skillset to the Twins’ roster, along with his signature shades and walk up song “La Bamba.”
Both pitchers join the likes of current major leaguers Jared Weaver, Jason Vargas and Marco Estrada as former Dirtbag pitchers selected in the draft.