Taccolini Becomes Fourth Razorback Taken On Draft’s Second Day

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Senior pitcher Dominic Taccolini was the fourth Razorback taken in the 2017 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft Tuesday afternoon when he was selected in the 10th round, No. 288 overall, by the San Diego Padres.

Taccolini follows Trevor Stephan, Chad Spanberger, and Cannon Chadwick as the newest Razorbacks drafted over the last two days and is the first Hog taken by the Padres since Logan Forsythe and Aaron Murphree in 2008.

Coming from Sugar Land, Texas, Taccolini pitched for four seasons, compiling a 4.83 ERA with 231 innings pitched and 197 strikeouts. He totaled 45 or more strikeouts over each of the last three seasons, including 60+ strikeouts in 2015 and 2016.

Over the past season, Taccolini was used in both a starter and reliever’s role, generating a career-low 4.24 ERA in 51 innings. He held batters to a .225 average, the fourth lowest among all Razorback starting pitchers. He also picked up wins against Bryant (Feb. 24 and Feb. 25), ULM (March 7), and Vanderbilt (May 14), making him one of six pitchers with four or more wins last year.

In his five starts, the Texas native was able to throw four or more innings four times and gave up two runs or less three times. Against ULM, Taccolini struck out 10 batters over six innings, walking two and giving up just two earned runs for his best outing of the year.

Taccolini also earned two saves, going the final four innings against Mississippi State (March 19) with five strikeouts, and at Missouri, where he struck out four over the final three innings without giving up a run.

Back during his junior season, Taccolini turned in one of the best performances in school history when he threw a complete 10-inning shutout against Kentucky, which included a career-high 10 strikeouts and no walks, while allowing five hits.

The outing was the longest by any starting pitcher in the NCAA last season and longest by a Razorback since Clint Brannon went 11 innings in 2004.

Wednesday will be the final day of the draft and will include rounds 11-40 starting at 11 a.m. All selections can be followed on MLB.com.

The signing deadline for underclassmen and high school seniors selected in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft is July 7.

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