BSUs Bullington first overall draft choice
Jerry Hoffman
Bullington became a member of Major League Baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates. The hard-throwing righthander is the 11th player out of the MAC to be taken in the first round, but is the fifth person to be taken in the top five.
“We kept hearing top-three selections, but we never got any confirmation,” Bullington said. “I heard it when you heard it.”
The 6’5”, 210-pound Bullington was 11-3 with a 2.84 ERA, 139 strikeouts and 18 walks in 104 2-3 innings. His fastball hits 92-94 mph and he has a hard slider and tough curve.
“He is a big horse,” said CMU Head Coach Judd Folske. “He has stepped his game up year to year.”
Other Bullington accolades include 2001 USA National Team; Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America; Baseball America Freshman All-American Second Team; 2001 American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-Mideast Region First Team; 2000 Baseball Coaches Association All-Mideast Region Second Team; 2002 and 2001 MAC Pitcher of the Year; 2002, 2001 and 2000 First Team All-MAC; 2000 MAC Freshman of the Year; 2002 Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-District Five; National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Pitcher of the Week April 16, 2002; Four time MAC Pitcher of the Week.
Other MAC players that were drafted on day one, include Bullington’s teammate left-handed pitcher Luke Hagerty who was drafted 32nd overall by the Chicago Cubs in the supplemental first round.
Another left-hander, Patrick Misch was taken with the 161st pick in the fifth round becoming a member of the Houston Astros.
CMU’s righthander Chad Pleiness was taken with the 146th pick in the fifth round to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Ball State’s right-handed pitcher was taken in the seventh round with the 196 pick to Baltimore. Chris Leonard, a right-handed pitcher from Miami went to the Blue Jays in the eighth round and the 236 pick. The last player from the MAC to go was first basemen/leftfielder Mike Galloway from Miami, who joined teammate Leonard and Pleiness in Toronto.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
