Multiple Gophers drafted in recent MLB Draft

May 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of Dodger Stadium during the fifth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers play against the Los Angeles Angels. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The bright lights of Dodgers Stadium and the sounds of Vin Scully’s voice on TV and radio have made Los Angeles Dodgers baseball a staple of Americana for decades. Now the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers have added a member of their team to the organizational roster for the near future.

Tom Windle, a junior left-handed pitcher for the Gophers, was selected at No. 56 overall in 2013 MLB Entry Draft. Windle a native of Maple Grove, Minn. was a First Team All-Big Ten Conference starting pitcher this season and recorded a 6-4 record with a 2.14 ERA in 14 appearances. He recorded 86 strikeouts in 92.2 innings for the Gophers and held opposing hitters to a .208 batting average.

Windle was selected by the Chicago White Sox in Round 28 of the 2010 Rule 4 Draft out of Osseo High School. He decided to forgo his professional career at the time to attend Minnesota.

The Minnesota-native was the second from the state selected by the Dodgers. In the first round, Los Angeles selected Chris Anderson at No. 18 overall out of Jacksonville University and nearby Lino Lakes, Minn. Anderson, another big pitcher, was a conference foe of Windle’s at Centennial High School.

Windle was the highest selected Gopher player since Mike Kvasnicka was selected No. 33 overall in the 2010 entry draft by the Houston Astros. He is the highest pitcher selected in the draft since Glen Perkins was picked at No. 22 in the 2004 draft by the Minnesota Twins.

By going at No. 56 overall, Windle has a slot value of $986,500. That is the reported amount that the Dodgers have signed the 6 foot-4, 215 lefty.

Another Gophers junior left-hander, Donald “D.J.” Snelten (Ingelside, Ill.) was also drafted by the San Francisco Giants in Round 9 at No. 282. Which means we could see the two Gopher pitchers square off against each other in the NL West for years to come.

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