FORT WORTH, Texas - Eleven Missouri Valley Conference baseball student-athletes were selected over 20 rounds in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft, July 14-16.
Since 1980, the Valley has boasted at least 10 draft picks in all but three years. In the last five drafts, there have been 40 selections with nine of those being selected in a top-five round.
Indiana State's Randal Diaz was the first MVC player to be selected, earning the 141st pick in the fifth round by the Washington Nationals. The Sycamores' Luke Hayden went in the eighth round (pick 239) to the Cincinnati Reds while UIC teammates Zane Zielinski (San Francisco Giants) and Ryan Smith (Houston Astros) went in the ninth round. Murray State's Cade Vernon rounded out the Valley's showing in the top 10, going 298th overall to the San Francisco Giants.
On the final day of the draft, six more student-athletes heard their name called with Southern Illinois' Aidan Foeller going in the 11th round to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bradley's Jacob Kisting (Minnesota Twins) and Indiana State's Jared Spencer (Philadelphia Phillies) going in the 14th round, Murray State's Drew Vogel headed to the Houston Astros in the 15th round and Missouri State teammates Eric Loomis (Texas Rangers) and Brandt Thompson (St. Louis Cardinals) selected in the 16th round.
The Conference's 11 picks marked the most since the league's 18 selections in the 2019 MLB Draft.
MVC MLB Draft History
2024 MVC MLB Draft Selections
| Round |
Pick |
Name (School) |
MLB Team |
| 5 |
141 |
Randal Diaz (Indiana State) |
Washington Nationals |
| 8 |
239 |
Luke Hayden (Indiana State) |
Cincinnati Reds |
| 9 |
268 |
Zane Zielinski (UIC) |
San Francisco Giants |
| 9 |
283 |
Ryan Smith (UIC) |
Houston Astros |
| 10 |
298 |
Cade Vernon (Murray State) |
San Francisco Giants |
| 11 |
340 |
Aidan Foeller (Southern Illinois) |
Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 14 |
428 |
Jacob Kisting (Bradley) |
Minnesota Twins |
| 14 |
432 |
Jared Spencer (Indiana State) |
Philadelphia Phillies |
| 15 |
463 |
Drew Vogel (Murray State) |
Houston Astros |
| 16 |
495 |
Eric Loomis (Missouri State) |
Texas Rangers |
| 16 |
501 |
Brandt Thompson (Missouri State) |
St. Louis Cardinals |