Nick Schumacher drafted by San Diego Padres in 28th round
Former Wayne State College pitcher Nick Schumacher was drafted by San Diego Padres in the 28th round Friday afternoon on the second day of the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The 6-4, 210 pound right hander was the 855th overall pick of the 50-round draft and it marks the second straight season that a Wildcat pitcher was drafted, joining former Wildcat left hander Travis Mortimore who was taken last year in the 21st round by the Seattle Mariners.
Schumacher, a pitcher from Nebraska City, Nebraska, finished with a 13-2 record and a 2.36 ERA for the Wildcats this season. He received First Team ABCA/Rawlings All-American honors while being named the Central Region Pitcher of the Year and 2008 NSIC Pitcher of the Year honors. Schumacher was also named Third Team All-American by Daktronics (Sports Information Directors) and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Schumacher was tied with five other pitchers for the most wins by a NCAA Division II pitcher this season and set a new single season record for wins at WSC, breaking the old mark of 11 set by Nate Miller in 2004. He closed out his WSC career with a record of 30-9, matching the school record for career wins held by Brady Borner (1998-2001). In 91.2 innings pitched this season, Schumacher allowed just 75 hits and 30 runs (24 earned) with 96 strikeouts.
Wayne State College finished the 2008 season with a 40-13 record. The Wildcats captured the NSIC regular season title for a fifth straight season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for a fifth consecutive year and the sixth time in the last eight years.