Schmidt Selected by San Diego Padres in First Round of MLB Draft

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas junior left-handed pitcher Nick Schmidt was selected with the 23rd overall pick of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft on Thursday afternoon by the San Diego Padres.

“Nick is the perfect example of what you can do when you come to college committed to working hard and making yourself the best baseball player possible,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “Nick turned in one great start after another over his three years as a Razorback, and is now getting the recognition he deserves as a first round pick.”

Schmidt, a native of St. Louis, Mo., is the first Razorback taken in the first round of the MLB Draft since David Walling went to the New York Yankees with the 27th overall pick in 1999.

He is also the highest Arkansas player taken since Jeff King was the first overall choice in the 1986 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Schmidt finished his Razorback career as the all-time strikeout king with 345 while ranking second with 52 career starts and third with 28 wins and 340.1 innings pitched. He also ranks second and tied for fifth in single-season strikeouts after fanning 145 in 2006 and 111 in 2007.

Schmidt’s 2007 season saw him rack up 11 wins, which is tied for the third-highest in school history. He also tied the school record with 124 innings pitched and finished with a .196 opponent batting average, which led the Southeastern Conference.

He was the 2006 SEC Pitcher of the Year and a two-time first-team All-SEC selection by league coaches. Schmidt also earned back-to-back All-American honors as a first-team selection in 2006 and a second-team choice in 2007.