Three former NIACC pitchers were selected in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft.
On Monday, left-handed pitcher Connor Wietgrefe was a seventh-round pick (204th overall pick) by the Pittsburgh Pirates and right-handed pitcher Ryan Lambert was an eighth-round selection (233rd overall pick) by the New York Mets. Wietgrefe and Lambert both pitched for the Trojans in the 2022 season.
On Tuesday, right-handed pitcher Brandt Thompson was selected in the 17th round (501st) by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Wietgrefe was a first-team all-Big Ten selection as a junior last season for the University of Minnesota. He was the first Gopher to earn first-team all-Big Ten honors since 2019.
The southpaw was 8-4 with a 2.77 earned run average with 74 strikeouts and 26 walks in 78.0 innings pitched. Wietgrefe appeared in 15 games as a junior, including 13 starts.
In the 2022 season with the Trojans, Wietgrefe, who is from Prior Lake, Minn., was 5-1 with one save with 59 strikeouts and 13 walks in 46 1/3 innings pitched.
Lambert was 4-0 with a 2.57 ERA with 19 strikeouts as a relief pitcher for the Oklahoma Sooners in his junior campaign. Lambert, who transferred to Oklahoma from Missouri State, was added to NCAA D1 Baseball’s ‘Heat Sheet’ with numerous pitches clocked over 100 mph, including a 102 mph fastball.\
In 2022 for the Trojans, Lambert, who is from Excelsior, Minn., was 1-2 with 27 strikeouts and eight walks in 12 2/3 innings of work.
Thompson, who pitched at Missouri State, was a first-team all-MVC selection in 2023 and 2024. He was the school’s Dave Dickensheet pitcher of the year in 2023 and 2024.
In his senior season in 2024, Thompson was 5-2 with a 3.78 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 78 2/3 innings of work.
Thompson, who is from Eden Prairie, Minn., pitched at NIACC in the 2021 and 2022 seasons and earned second-team all-region honors in his sophomore campaign. As a sophomore at NIACC, Thompson was 6-0 with a 2.51 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 22 walks in 61 innings pitched.
NIACC MLB DRAFT PICKS
2005 – Steve Salas (RHP) – 22nd round by the Los Angeles Angels
2016 – Malique Ziegler (OF) – 22nd round by the San Francisco Giants
2017 – Robbie Glendinning (SS) – 21st round by the Pittsburgh Pirates
2018 – Luke Becker (2B) – 9th round by the San Diego Padres
2018 – Evan Reifert (RHP) – 30th round by the Texas Rangers
2018 – Brandon Williamson (LHP) – 36th round by the Milwaukee Brewersw
2019 – Brandon Williamson (LHP) – 2nd round by the Seattle Mariners, 59th overall pick.
2019 – Bryce Ball (1B) – 24th round by the Atlanta Braves.
2019 – Harrison Beethe (RHP) – 39th round by the Milwaukee Brewers.
2021 – Harrison Beethe (RHP) – 18th round by the Kansas City Royals.
2022 – Jake Christianson (RHP) – 15th round by the Tampa Bay Rays.
2022 – Patrick Pridgen (RHP) – 15th round by the Detroit Tigers.
2022 – Ryan Wrobleski (C) – 20th round by the Houston Astros.
2024 – Connor Wietgrefe (LHP) – 7th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates
2024 – Ryan Lambert (RHP) – 8th round by the New York Mets
2024 – Brandt Thompson (RHP) – 17th round by the St. Louis Cardinals
