Indiana baseball sets program record for early-round draft selections in 2024 MLB Draft

It was a tremendous day for the Indiana baseball program during the second day of the 2024 MLB Draft. After it was all said and done, there were five Indiana baseball players selected on Monday.

It was not only a program record for draftees in the top five rounds, with four, but Indiana baseball currently has the most amount of draft picks in the Big Ten entering day three.

Luke Sinnard was the first Indiana player off the board and became the 14th player in Indiana baseball program history to be selected in the top-100 picks. He was followed by Nick Mitchell,, Carter Mathison and Connor Foley.

Griffin Tobias, a current Indiana signee, was selected in the ninth round. He now has the option to forgo his college eligibility or enroll at Indiana.

Below is the full release from the Indiana baseball program.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Junior right-handed pitcher Luke Sinnard (3-99, Atlanta) was the first Indiana player selected on Day 2 of the 2024 MLB Draft and one of four picked in the top-five rounds on Monday (July 15) afternoon. All four Hoosiers selected were taken among the first 165 picks in the draft’s proceedings.

The four picks are the most IU selections in the first five rounds of a single draft in program history, besting the previous mark of three in both 2009 and 2014. Sinnard is the 14th player all-time to be drafted in the top-100 and the first since McCade Brown (3-79) in 2021.

Despite not pitching in 2024, Sinnard impressed scouts at the MLB Draft Combine as he continues his recovery from injury. He set a single season program record with 114 strikeouts as the staff ace in 2023, helping IU to an NCAA Tournament bid and a runner-up finish in the Big Ten regular season standings.

Junior outfielders Nick Mitchell (4C-136) and Carter Mathison (5-162) were selected by Toronto and Philadelphia, respectively. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Connor Foley was taken by Arizona (5-164) in the closing stages of the fifth round.

Mathison, an Indiana native, played in all 182 games of his career in Bloomington. He hit 42 home runs in three seasons, moving up to sixth on the all-time program list. The Fort Wayne native became an elite defender in 2024, using his plus speed to play an errorless center field in all 63 games of 2024. He hit 10+ home runs in every season of college.

Mitchell transferred to IU for his junior season and was productive at every level of the lineup. He hit .335 with 68 hits and 49 RBIs in 54 games played. In three seasons as a college player, he was a collective .344 hitter and finished one hit shy of 200 for his career.

Foley became IU’s most powerful starting pitcher in 2024, finishing the year with a 4-2 record and a 4.71 earned run average. He was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection despite missing a handful of starts in April. He had 82 strikeouts while opposing batters hit just .165 against him on the year.

IU signee Griffin Tobias, a right-handed pitcher from Lake Central in St. John, Ind., was selected in the ninth round by the Milwaukee Brewers. He is eligible to sign his professional contract or report to Bloomington for his freshman season.

The MLB Draft will resume on Tuesday afternoon with Rounds 11-20. Among potential IU selections is three-year starting first baseman/catcher Brock Tibbitts.

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