Conner O'Neil Selected in the 7th Round of 2017 MLB Draft
6/13/2017 3:11:00 PM | Baseball
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NORTHRIDGE, CA---
Weeks after completing a stellar career with CSUN Baseball, right-handed pitcher Conner O'Neil was selected in the seventh round (217th overall) of the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the New York Mets on Tuesday afternoon. CSUN's all-time career and single-season save record holder, O'Neil is the highest drafted Matador since Craig Baker was taken in the fourth round of the 2006 draft.Â
Originally from Kennewick, WA, O'Neil concluded a three-year career with the Matadors in 2017 as he further supplanted himself as one of the program's top relievers in school history. After he was selected in the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft (32nd round) by the Detroit Tigers, O'Neil returned to the Matadors for his senior year where he went on to post a 5-4 record to go along a team-best 2.70 ERA en route to earning a Big West Conference Honorable Mention. Appearing in 27 games, O'Neil racked up 63 strikeouts in 50.0 innings and seven saves while limiting batters to a miniscule .198 batting average.
In Big West conference play, O'Neil collected a 2.33 ERA, four wins, three saves and 36 strikeouts. Known for his ability to pitch in long relief, O'Neil tallied five multiple-inning saves
O'Neil recorded 29 saves with CSUN
including three where he worked two or more innings.
During the year, O'Neil set a career high with 10 strikeouts in a victory over UC Riverside as he worked 5.1 innings and allowed two runs. O'Neil also picked up three saves against NCAA Tournament teams including Long Beach State (Apr. 15), Vanderbilt (Mar. 3) and UCLA (Feb. 28).Â
A consistent presence in the CSUN record books, O'Neil wrapped up his career with an all-time program-best 29 saves along with the most saves recorded in a single season with 12 in 2015. O'Neil also posted a 2.53 ERA, the best average of any Division I pitcher in team history and good enough for sixth-place overall. In addition, O'Neil appeared in the fifth-most games at CSUN (78) and he recorded the 10th-most strikeouts (197). In his career, O'Neil registered a 13-11 record in over 170 innings on the mound while he yielded a .201 average to opposing hitters.Â
With O'Neil's selection, the Matadors have now been represented in the MLB First-Year Player Draft for the 13th consecutive season. O'Neil is also the third pitcher in as many seasons to be chosen in the Top 10 rounds as left hander Jerry Keel was taken in the ninth round by the San Diego Padres in 2015 and fellow southpaw Kenny Rosenberg was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the eighth round a season ago. Prior to choosing O'Neil, the Mets had never selected a Matador in the history of the draft.Â
Fifteen Matadors have played in Major League Baseball, which include Paul Edmondson, Bill Slayback, Lyman Bostock, Jason Thompson, Gil Kubski, Steve Ellsworth, Jim Vatcher, Jeremy Hernandez, Robert Fick, Adam Kennedy, Erasmo Ramirez, Kameron Loe, Bill Murphy, Leo Rosales and Chuckie Fick.Â
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