From 1993 to 2015, only three Medina County players were selected in the MLB Draft.
That statistic was blown to smithereens over a 24-hour span, as Brunswick resident Michael Horejsei (Ohio State), Medina native Mike Ellenbest (Saginaw Valley State) and Highland High graduate Chad Sedio (Miami of Ohio) were drafted on an historic Saturday for area baseball.
Horejsei, a St. Ignatius graduate and left-handed reliever, went in the 21st round (626th overall) to the Chicago White Sox. Right-handed starter Ellenbest went in the 24th round (732rd) to the Toronto Blue Jays, while shortstop Sedio went in the 27th round (805th) to the Detroit Tigers.
Horejsei and Sedio are out of college eligibility. Redshirt sophomore Ellenbest could have returned to school but will sign a professional contract.
The trio increased the county’s total of 2016 draftees to four. Highland graduate Luke Raley, an outfielder from Lake Erie College, was selected in the seventh round Friday.
Ellenbest
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Ellenbest is a late-bloomer who shined in the loaded Northeast Ohio Conference River Division as a Medina senior in 2013, going 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA.
Mike Ellenbest
Ellenbest’s baseball trajectory has been swift, as he earned a scholarship to Division II Saginaw Valley State and became the first Medina High graduate drafted since Joe Lazor (Cincinnati Reds) in 1986.
Before being drafted, Ellenbest was playing wood-bat collegiate summer ball for the Green Bay Bullfrogs of the Northwoods League alongside his older brother, Matt. The 21-year-old got the life-changing phone call during batting practice.
“I was shock and awe,” Ellenbest said. “It was a surreal moment. Not a lot of guys can go through what I went through, and it’s special. It’s definitely special, and I feel blessed for the opportunity the Blue Jays gave me.”
That the Blue Jays made the move was not a surprise to Ellenbest, who also received pre-draft interest from the Rangers, Padres and Braves. Ellenbest threw a bullpen session for Toronto scouts, who told him they were going to draft him after the 10th round.
Ellenbest will head to Florida this week to sign a contract. He said he will be assigned to the Rookie-level Bluefield Blue Jays or Low-A Vancouver Canadians.
“I’m already done, sealed and delivered,” Ellenbest said.
Ellenbest redshirted in 2014 before teaming with former Medina teammate Scott Sency atop the Saginaw Valley State rotation the last two seasons.
Ellenbest succeeded immediately with a 5-3 record, 2.57 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 54 strikeouts in 49 innings, earning the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference Freshman Pitcher of the Year award.
The big right-hander was 5-4 with a 3.52 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 53 strikeouts in 69 innings this spring. He limited opposing batters to a .226 average and was named first-team All-GLIAC.
Ellenbest’s fastball sits between 88-92 mph. He also throws a curveball, changeup and slider.
“When you work hard, it shows,” Ellenbest said. “I strive off that. When you see results such as that, that’s what kept me going. Ever since I got to college, that was my main goal — to get drafted. I just wanted to work at it, work at it and work at it. My dream finally came true.”
Sedio
Chad Sedio
Standing 6-3, 205 with the ability to play shortstop, third base and all three outfield spots, Sedio’s versatility made him an attractive third-day pick.
The Tigers apparently liked what they saw when Sedio worked out for them at Comerica Park fewer than two weeks ago. Detroit then swooped and took Sedio, who teamed with Raley to help Highland win the 2012 Suburban League championship.
Sedio will report to the Tigers’ spring training facility in Lakeland, Fla., where he will sign a contract, take a physical and work out with the organization before being assigned to an affiliate.
“It’s unbelievable,” the 22-year-old said. “I sat around all day and my heart was pounding for two hours before I finally heard my name called. It was awesome.
“I was at home (in Montville Township), and I actually watched every single pick. I was going crazy. I had to see what was going on and wait for my name to show up.”
Sedio was a four-year starter at Miami, hitting .269 with career highs for home runs (13), RBIs (30) runs (38) and stolen bases (14) as a senior. He also had a .942 fielding percentage in 259 chances as the Redhawks’ everyday shortstop.
The left-handed hitter batted .296 with 18 homers, 79 RBIs and 112 runs in his 170-game career while also playing center field, right field and third base.
“(Playing multiple positions) helped a lot,” Sedio said. “I went in as a center fielder, moved to right field then third and got drafted at shortstop. That should speak for itself. It helps to be versatile.”
Sedio’s draft stock rose significantly in the summer of 2015, when he starred for the Edenton Steamers of the wood-bat Coastal Plain League and joined Raley on the Perfect Game USA Summer Collegiate All-American first team.
It was there Sedio showed a dramatic increase in power, hitting .403 with 16 home runs and 49 RBIs. He attributed the improvement to strengthening the lower half of his body while rehabbing a broken wrist.
Sedio is impressed that two players hailing from the same local high school were taken in the same draft, as Northeast Ohio is not known to be a professional hotbed.
“I don’t know how to put that into words,” he said. “That’s pretty unbelievable. I don’t remember the last time two guys in the Suburban League were taken, let alone Highland. It’s pretty amazing.”
Horejsei
Michael Horejsei
Horejsei is a 6-0, 200-pounder drafted out of the Ohio State bullpen. One of his teammates was Brunswick graduate Kyle Michalik.
Horejsei was the Buckeyes’ go-to situational reliever, going 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA in 34 appearances. He limited opposing hitters to a .156 batting average, had a 0.84 WHIP and struck out 39 in 31 innings.
Ohio State won the Big Ten Tournament and reached the D-I national tournament, where it failed to advance past the first round.
Like Ellenbest, Horejsei is a late-bloomer. He landed at Ohio State after playing one season at Ohio State-Mansfield, where he was named the 2012 Ohio Valley Regional Campus Player of the Year.
At St. Ignatius, Horejsei was a co-captain, pitched and played first base. He was an honorable mention All-Cuyahoga River Conference selection in 2010 and ’11.