Mizzou's Williams, Fairbanks Drafted on Day Two of MLB Draft
6/18/2015 11:19:00 AM | Baseball
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou baseball saw two if its junior pitchers drafted during day two of the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft on Tuesday (June 9). CloserBreckin Williams (Oronogo, Mo.) was taken with the first pick of the fourth round (pick No. 106) by the Arizona Diamondbacks and junior righty Peter Fairbanks (St. Louis, Mo.) was taken in the ninth round (pick No. 258) by the Texas Rangers. Williams and Fairbanks become the 71st and 72nd Tiger players taken in the MLB draft under head coach Tim Jamieson. Williams is the Tigers' highest draft pick since Brett Graves went 101st last season.
Williams had a fantastic junior campaign as the Tigers' closer, earning a school single season record 13 saves in 2015. He earned a win or save in all nine of Mizzou's one-run wins in 2015 and he closed the season with a 4-4 record, 13 saves and a 1.98 ERA, the second-best mark among Tiger relievers. He appeared in 25 games, spanning 36.1 innings with 39 strikeouts and just nine walks. He allowed just eight earned runs all season and limited batters to .235 hitting. He led the SEC at the end of the regular season with his 13 saves and he passed Ryan Stegall (12 in 2000) for the most in school history. He was a second-team All-SEC honoree for his efforts on the mound in 2015.
Fairbanks, the Tigers' Sunday starter for much of the season in 2015, put together a career-best year with a 3.40 ERA, the top among Tiger starting pitchers in 2015 - a staff that included three-time SEC Pitcher of the Week Reggie McClain and Freshman All-American Tanner Houck. Fairbanks struck out 79 batters in 76.2 innings and posted a 4-5 record while limiting batters to .253 hitting. He led the team in wins during his sophomore season in 2014 and has eight wins over his career with the Tigers. He and his father Shane, a standout for the Tigers in the 1980s, are the first father-son duo in Mizzou history to each be drafted after playing at Mizzou. The MLB Draft has been friendly to Tiger pitchers over the years. Since 2006, 19 Tiger pitchers have been drafted, including three first rounders and a second-rounder.
Several other draft-eligible Tigers will look to hear their names called as the MLB Draft continues Wednesday (June 10). Stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter for all the latest on Mizzou's draft hopefuls.
