Illinois junior lefty Kevin Duchene (JCA) was the second MLB draft pick from the area. Duchene, the Illini’s No. 1 starter all season, went in the fifth round, the 158th overall selection, to the Oakland A’s. Duchene posted an 11-2 record and a 1.75 ERA. He was 11-0 with a 1.64 ERA in Big Ten games.

For his career, Duchene ranks second in Illinois history with a 2.11 ERA and is tied for seventh with 24 wins. His 24-4 overall record (.857) is tied with Tanner Roark (Wilmington, 12-2) for the sixth-best career winning percentage at Illinois.

Duchene is the sixth Illini to be drafted by Oakland. The first was former major leaguer Scott Spiezio (Morris) in 1993.

Excerpts from article written by Dick Goss for The (Joliet) Herald-News/Shaw Media. To read the entire article, click Goss: Draft, state tourneys create baseball buzz