Senior Illini outfielder Jack Yalowitz was selected in the 10th round by the Colorado Rockies. The 309th overall pick was the second Illini taken in the MLB draft after junior Michael Massey was taken in the fourth round by the Kansas City Royals.

“Lets. Go!!! Been an honor to play with this guy. Incredible role model,” said Michael Massey via Twitter.

The 5’11 right fielder heads over to the Rockies after an exceptional four-year career in Champaign. He averaged a career .272 batting average and cranked 22 homers along with 127 RBIs, including a 12 homer sophomore season in which he earned first team All-Big Ten honors.

In his final season, Yalowitz averaged .295 hit five homers, had 31 RBIs, led the team in doubles with 15 and finished second the team in home runs  with 5, RBIs with 31, runs with 33, steals with 11 and walks with 23. It was a marked improvement from his junior season, where he was only hitting .216 and had five homers after setting career highs his sophomore year with .335 average, 12 home runs and 44 RBIs.

Yalowitz has also been a defensive menace throughout his years on the team. He earned the All-Big Ten first team honor as an outfielder his sophomore year and found a spot on the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region second team as an outfielder.

Just this past season, Yalowitz was named All-Big Ten third team as an outfielder and did not commit an error all season with six assists and 105 putouts from right field. Throughout his career, he only committed seven errors during his time in the orange and blue.

With Yalowitz and Massey both being selected today the Illini have officially had two picks in the first 10 rounds in back-to-back years when Bren Spillane and Joey Gerber were drafted in the third and eighth rounds respectively last year.

@JJKimSports

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