Secaucus, N.J. -- Ball State RHP Kyle Nicolas and Central Michigan C/SS/3B Zavier Warren were selected in the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft on Thursday night. Nicolas was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 2nd Round with the 61st pick, while Warren was taken by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 3rd Round with the 92nd pick. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's draft was condensed from 40 rounds to a 5-round draft with only 160 picks.
Nicolas, a native of Massillon, Ohio, becomes the 70th player and 35th pitcher drafted out of Ball State, which features a history of eight first-round draft picks. Nicolas, who was named the top draft prospect in the state of Indiana by MLB, also becomes the 11th player in Ball State history to be selected in the first three rounds of the MLB Draft. Nicolas pitched 135.1 innings over 42 appearances in his three Ball State seasons, racking up 174 strikeouts with six saves and four wins. He made four starts this spring before the season was discontinued, including a 17-strikeout effort in 7.0 innings on March 6.
Warren, a switch hitter who was rated the No. 106 player in the draft by MLB.com, hit .325 in his career at CMU, appearing in 129 games with 127 of them starts. He posted a .447 slugging percentage and a .455 on-base percentage, both of which are outstanding numbers. He had nine home runs, drove in 104 runs, and smacked 28 doubles, a program-record 23 of which came in 2019 when he earned All-America honors after leading the Chippewas to the Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament titles and an NCAA Tournament berth. Warren is the sixth Chippewa taken in the first three rounds of the draft and is CMU's highest draft pick since 1977, when pitcher Doug Harrison (Los Angeles Dodgers) and infielder Dave Pagel (Chicago Cubs) each went in the third round. The other three Chippewas to have been selected in the first three rounds are Chris Knapp, first, 1975; Kevin Tapani, second, 1986; and Bob Grandas, third, 1976.
For more information on MAC Baseball be sure to check GetSomeMACtion.com or our Official Twitter account at @MACSports.
