Lincoln – Big Ten Player of the Year Spencer Schwellenbach heard his named called Monday afternoon during the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft when he was taken 59th overall by the Atlanta Braves.
Since 2015, the Huskers have had four players taken in the first 10 rounds of the Draft, including Schwellenbach (2nd – Atlanta in 2021), Scott Schreiber (9th – Tampa Bay in 2018), Ryan Boldt (2nd – Tampa Bay in 2016) and Tanner Lubach (9th – Anaheim in 2015).
Schwellenbach was named the 2021 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year after hitting .284 with six homers and 40 RBIs at shortstop, while also going 3-1 with 10 saves and a 0.57 ERA in 31.2 innings of work.
Tabbed an All-American by five different publications in 2021, including a first-team pick by D1Baseball and ABCA/Rawlings, Schwellenbach ranked in the top 10 in the Big Ten in runs, RBIs and walks, while in the field he committed just four errors in 186 chances. He made his debut on the mound in 2021, and led the Big Ten with 10 saves and did not allow a run in 17 of his 18 appearances. He fanned 34 in 31.2 innings and held opposing hitters to a .198 average. His last appearance on the mound was a season-high 4.2-inning shutout relief appearances in the NCAA Tournament over then No. 1 Arkansas on June 6.
Rounds 2-10 of the 2021 MLB Draft take place today, and the draft concludes on Tuesday with rounds 11-20 starting at 11 AM. A live video stream for Monday and Tuesday can be found on MLB.com.
