For the first time since 1978, no Wichita State players were chosen in the MLB Draft, which ended Thursday. The MLB shortened the two-day draft from 40 rounds to five due to the  COVID-19 pandemic.

Draft-eligible players will still have the option to sign with teams as an undrafted free agent, but their signings are capped at $20,000. Fourteen WSU players were draft-eligible this year. 

Earlier this offseason, three of WSU’s five seniors — Preston Snavely, Alex Jackson and Tommy Barnhouse — expressed interest in returning to WSU after the NCAA granted spring sport seniors a waiver to come back. Head Coach Eric Wedge remained open to whatever decision the seniors make for next season. 

“If they want to come back and compete for another year or be a part of something for another year, that’s great,” Wedge said in early May. “If they’re ready to move on with their life, I think that’s fantastic too. So, all those are positives.”

Twenty-six WSU players have been selected in the MLB draft over the last five years. Of those 26 players, seven were selected in the first ten rounds, including former first-round pick Alec Bohm.

Four players from the AAC were selected in this year’s draft. The St. Louis Cardinals picked Alec Burleson, a pitcher and outfielder from East Carolina, with the No.71 overall pick.