Former Blue Devil pitcher Drew Van Orden was drafted Friday by the Washington Nationals in the fifth round with the 154th overall pick in the MLB Draft.
The right-hander saw action in his first season at Duke in 2011, racking up four starts in a team-high 22 appearances. His sophomore year did not produce the same kind of success his freshman year did, as he failed to register a win in 23 appearances. Van Orden managed to bounce back in his junior season, posting a 3-5 record and career-high 56 strikeouts.
But the Manhattan Beach, Calif. native saved his best for last, as he registered career bests in ERA, innings pitched and strikeouts—3.19, 81.7 and 91, respectively—in his final season at Duke.
He also posted the first winning season of his career with 6-5 clip to double his career win total and bring his final record to 12-20. In his 15 appearances, Van Orden managed to hold the 355 opposing batters he faced to .214 batting average—another career-best.
Van Orden is now the 24th Duke pitcher to be drafted in Blue Devil history and follows on the heels of Marcus Stroman, who went to the Toronto Blue Jays with the 22nd overall pick in 2012.
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