Correction appended.
Ohio may be in the market for a new ace.
Joe Rock was the 68th overall pick in Competitive Balance Round B of the MLB Draft. His new home will be within the Colorado Rockies organization pending a contract agreement.
Rock first made national headlines after throwing a no-hitter against Morehead State on Feb. 26. From there, he went on to finish the season with a 8-3 record and 2.33 ERA.
His junior campaign earned him First Team All-MAC as well as ABCA/Rawlings NCAA DI East All-Region First Team honors. Rock was also named to the Collegiate Baseball All-America Second Team.
The Aliquippia, Pennsylvania, native was third in the Mid-American Conference for strikeouts (117) and led the league in batters struck out looking (40). The southpaw achieved those numbers by sequencing his fastball and slider while attacking individual hitters.
Rock marks the first Ohio player to be drafted since Rudy Rott, who was selected in the ninth round of the 2019 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. The pitcher will join the likes of Mitch Longo and Logan Cozart as Bobcats active in the minor leagues if he elects to turn pro.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Joe Rock was selected in the second round of the MLB Draft, not Competitive Balance Round B. This article has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.
