By Anthony Gulizia, News Staff
When senior pitcher Andrew Leenhouts came to campus for his official visit nearly four years ago, coach Neil McPhee told him that he had the potential to be drafted a few years down the road.
McPhee’s speculation came to fruition as Leenhouts, along with pitchers Les Williams and Brandon McNelis, was selected in the MLB Entry Draft. Williams and McNelis finished their last year of NCAA eligibility this past season.
“It’s kind of surreal,” Leenhouts said. “But it’s also a bit of relief. [Being drafted] is a validation that all my hard work has been paying off.”
Leenhouts was selected by the Florida Marlins in the 43rd round (1,303 overall), while Williams, a Toronto native, was picked by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 37th round (1,129) and McNelis by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 41st round (1,245).
“I’m extremely happy for Les and Brandon,” Leenhouts said. “Those are two of the guys that have put in as much work as they can.”
Leenhouts, who is currently playing for Harwich in the coveted Cape Cod summer league, has one year of eligibility remaining however he has not decided if he will return to NU or sign with Florida.
The Franklin native was chosen as 2011 preseason Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) pitcher of the year, and he ranks tenth in school history with 195 strikeouts.
Leenhouts also said he was happy because there was speculation that Williams was going to get drafted as a junior. When Williams was passed over, he put together a stronger season this year and silenced the doubters.
“After not getting drafted, you have mentality of there’s nothing to lose,” Williams said. “I was happy to get my degree and once school ended, I was able to finish the season strong with no other distractions. It’s a blessing that I didn’t get drafted year before.”
Williams graduated with a degree in criminal justice, while minoring in psychology. The right-handed hurler said being picked by Toronto was a dream come true.
“It’s a dream since I started playing baseball at 4-years old,” Williams said. “Just all the work I put into it and the support from my family friends finally paid off.”
Williams, who ranks fourth in school history with 232 strikeouts, pitched 95 innings and finished with a 5-6 record, and ranked fifth in the CAA with 77 strikeouts this season.
McNelis battled two years of injury to start his career at NU, but soon recovered and put together a solid senior campaign with a 4-7 record and a 4.95 ERA.
“It’s physical battle and a mental battle,” McNelis said. “You have to get over the mental hump and not be afraid to keep trying. Even though it might hurt, you need to get over the hump. I feel healthy, I’ve never felt better.”
The Golden Bridge, N.Y. native suffered a torn labrum his junior year in high school, followed by a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) his freshman year which required Tommy John surgery.
“When I [got drafted], everything all just flashed back,” McNelis said. “There was time in rehab when things weren’t going as well as I wanted them to. I give my parents and friends a lot of credit. There were spots when I couldn’t get back to where I wanted to be and I finally got there.”
Leenhouts added, “This year when Brandon got the opportunity, he made most of it and he deserves it.”
McNelis will play rookie ball in Arizona for Los Angeles, while Williams will travel to Florida to play his rookie ball for Toronto.
Also selected in the draft was incoming freshman pitcher Joey Maher (Bedford, N.H.), who was picked by the New York Yankees in the 38th round (1,169). Unless he signs with New York, he will still pitch for the Huskies next season.
