COLLEGE PARK, MD -- University of Maryland junior catcher Luke Shliger, junior right-handed pitcher Jason Savacool, and senior infielder Nick Lorusso were each selected on Day Two of the MLB Draft on Monday afternoon.
This marks the first time since 2015 that Maryland baseball has had four selections in the top-10 rounds of the MLB Draft. It is the first time in program history that it has had four selections in the top-nine rounds.
Shliger was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 6th round (180th overall).With his selection, Shliger becomes the first Maryland catcher to be drafted since Kevin Martir was taken in the 18th round by the Houston Astros in 2015.
Shliger, a Buster Posey Award Semifinalist was a force as the Maryland captain in 2023. The Danbury, Connecticut led the Terps with a .523 on-base percentage while leading the nation in runs (93) and sitting second in walks (69). The 2023 All-Big Ten First Team selection became the Maryland all-time leader in runs scored, passing Head Coach Matt Swope (1999-2002) who held the record with 181. A catalyst out of the lead-off position in the lineup, Shliger earned four All-American honors in his junior season, being named a third-team selection by Collegiate Baseball News and a second-team honoree by D1Baseball, the ABCA and Baseball America.
Shliger, becomes the fourth Terp taken by the San Francisco Giants all-time and the first since Mike Rescigno was a 25th round pick of the club in 2016.
Savacool was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 6th round (185th overall). The Baldwinsville, New York native cemented his Maryland legacy over three seasons, entering the top-5 in program history in innings pitched (279.0), wins (24), and strikeouts (270). The two-time All-Big Ten selection was a work-horse in the Terrapin rotation during the 2023 campaign leading the pitching staff in strikeouts (95) and innings pitched (96.0).
Savacool, is the fifth Maryland player selected by the St. Louis Cardinals all-time and the first since Nick Dunn was a 5th round pick of the team in 2018.
Nick Lorusso was selected by the New York Mets in the 9th round(276th overall). Lorusso, the nation's leader in RBI with 105 in 2023, was one of the most dangerous hitters in all of college baseball this season. The Monroe, Connecticut native, Nick Lorusso recorded one of the best individual seasons in Maryland baseball history as he led the team in hits (100), RBI (105), and batting average (.379), while setting the single-season program record with 26 home runs. The 2023 All-Big Ten First Team honoree holds the Maryland program record for single-game (8), single-season (105) and career (175) RBIs, doing so in just two years with the Terps. Lorusso's 105 RBI are the most for any Division I college baseball player since Billy Becher tallied 118 for New Mexico State in 2003. Named the Big Ten Tournaments Most Outstanding Player, Lorusso is a consensus national All-American in 2023, receiving recognition from D1Baseball, Collegiate Baseball News, NCBWA, ABCA, and Baseball America.
Lorusso, becomes the fifth Terp taken by the New York Mets all-time and the first since Hunter Parsons was a 19th round pick of the club in 2019.
- Terps -
