The Pittsburgh Pirates today signed the following players from the 2018 First-Year Player Draft. The announcement was made by Joe DelliCarri, Pirates Senior Director of Amateur Scouting.
4th Round - Aaron Shortridge, RHP, 6-3/196, University of California-Berkeley (West Virginia Black Bears) ... Went 5-3 with two saves, a 2.77 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 17 appearances (12 starts) as a junior in 2018 at Cal-Berkeley ... Took home the final Pac-12 Pitcher-of-the-Week honors of the 2018 season after tossing a shutout in Cal's season-ending win at Arizona State ... Was also named a 2018 Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention.
6th Round - Michael Flynn, RHP, 6-4/185, University of Arizona (West Virginia Black Bears) ... Went 6-5 with a 4.89 ERA (73.2ip/40er) and 72 strikeouts in 15 appearances (13 starts) as a junior this year at the University of Arizona ... Went 5-0 with a 3.29 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 52.0 innings over 22 appearances (four starts) in 2017 with the Wildcats.
7th Round - Brett Kinneman, OF, 6-1/195, North Carolina State University (West Virginia Black Bears) ... Was named a third-team NCAA Division I All-American in 2018 ... Hit .274 with 13 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs and 61 RBI in 60 games in 2018 ... Was named a first-team All-ACC selection in 2018 ... Was named a 2016 Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball while also being named to the All-ACC Freshman team.
8th Round - Zach Spears, LHP, 6-7/237, Miami University of Ohio (West Virginia Black Bears) ... Went 4-5 with a 3.73 ERA (82.0ip/34er), one complete game and 88 strikeouts in 15 appearances (14 starts) in 2018 with Miami of Ohio University.
9th Round - Logan Stoelke, RHP, 6-3/185, Univ. of Louisiana-Lafayette (West Virginia Black Bears) ... Went 4-0 with a 2.97 ERA (33.1ip/11er) and 36 strikeouts in 21 appearances in 2018 with the University of Louisiana-Lafayette ... Posted a 1-1 record with a 1.64 ERA over 11.0 innings of work in 2015.
12th Round - Zac Susi, C, 6-1/200, University of Connecticut (West Virginia Black Bears) ... Hit .335 with nine doubles, one triple, one home run and 33 RBI in 56 games as a junior in 2018 at UConn; also reached base safely in each of his last 49 games ... Served as the team's captain in 2018 ... Was named to the Cape Cod League All-Star team in the summer of 2017 while playing for the Bourne Braves ... Was named to the Johnny Bench Award Watch List in 2017.
17th Round - Brad Case, RHP, 6-6/220, Rollins College (GCL Pirates) ... Was the first player selected by the Pirates out of Rollins College since Eric Bolling in the 22nd round of the 1984 draft ... Went 5-6 with a 3.46 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 16 appearances (15 starts) as a junior in 2018 with Rollins College ... Was named a second-team ABCA All-South Region and All-SSC (Sunshine State Conference) first-team selection in 2017 after going 5-5 with a 3.57 ERA in 14 appearances (14 starts).
The Pirates have now signed seven players from the 2018 draft.