The second day of Major League Baseball's 2019 first-year player draft got underway on Tuesday afternoon. With the 103rd overall pick, the Chicago Cubs selected a college pitcher who fans have become familiar with in recent days: Louisville's Michael McAvene.
If you recognize the name it's because McAvene became a bit of a viral sensation over the weekend after he was ejected from a regional game in the NCAA Tournament. McAvene disagreed with an umpire's strike zone and was tossed for saying, "That's horrible." The ejection triggered a four-game suspension that will carry over into the super regional portion of the tournament. Here's the incident:
Louisville closer just got tossed from the game for saying “that’s horrible” to the umpire. What a joke #NCAA pic.twitter.com/oedQhzjyU3
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) June 2, 2019
Although McAvene spent the season in Louisville's bullpen, there's some reason to believe he could transition back to the rotation as a professional. MLB.com ranked him as the 174th-best prospect in the draft, noting he has the chance for two plus pitches and the body to start.
In the interim, McAvene just hopes he'll make another college appearance. Louisville is due to battle Eastern Carolina in the super regionals. That's a best-of-three series, meaning McAvene will need the Cardinals to advance if he's to regain his eligibility.