NEW YORK, N.Y. – Northeastern State's
Ryan Helsley was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday in the fifth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft.
The sophomore from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, became the ninth player in school history to be taken in the draft when he was chosen with the 161st overall pick. He is also the first player in school history to be selected in one of the first five rounds.
He pitched in 26 games and made 21 starts during his two years at NSU. He compiled a 14-8 record and a 4.06 ERA in 126.1 innings pitched. He also threw three complete games and tallied 151 strikeouts. He was the lone underclassmen to earn a spot on the 2015 All-MIAA First Team, and he was also named to the 2014 All-MIAA Second Team as a freshman.
This past season, Helsley finished fifth in the nation and first in the MIAA in strikeouts per nine innings (13.4). He fanned an MIAA-best 95 batters and compiled a 3.53 ERA in 63.2 IP.
Helsley was the first player from the MIAA and the second player from the state of Oklahoma (Anthony Hermelyn, University of Oklahoma) selected in this year's draft. He was also the fifth player in all of NCAA Division II to come off the board.
Helsley is the first Northeastern State baseball player to be selected in the MLB Draft since Joel Eusebio was picked in the 46th round by the Oakland Athletics in 2009.
NORTHEASTERN STATE COACH TRAVIS JANSSEN"It's a special day for Northeastern State University, the baseball program, and especially the Helsley family. When you talk about Ryan, you have to start with his family. His parents (Jason and Sherry) are great people and have raised him to be first class in every way. He's an unbelievable ambassador as a student-athlete. He carries a 3.5 GPA, and on one of his most special days in his young career, he's working our youth camp and having a blast with the kids of Tahlequah. That tells you all you need to know. He's selfless and first class in every regard."
"I'd like to recognize the Santa Barbara Forresters and Bill Pintard. They took a chance on Ryan last summer based on the scouting reports that we were giving them. Ryan helped them win the NBC World Series Title which is a big deal in the baseball world. Along with what he was doing for NSU, that helped Ryan get on the map at a professional level."
"Finally, I'd like to recognize the hard work that Ryan put in with Coach
Jake Hendrick. Ryan has an uncommon work ethic. He's different compared to most college athletes - being good is very important to him. We took care of Ryan in every way and worked tirelessly to help him grow and improve. Coach Hendrick deserves a lot of that credit. Ryan is proof that you can accomplish your baseball goals at NSU. We hope and believe that Ryan is the first of many guys to get this opportunity. What a great day!"
| Year | Name | POS | Round | Pick | Team |
| 2015 | Ryan Helsley | RHP | 5 | 161 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2009 | Joel Eusebio | INF | 46 | 1,383 | Oakland Athletics |
| 2006 | Clint Cisper | RHP | 39 | 1,185 | Chicago White Sox |
| 1994 | Jon Morris | C | 17 | 458 | San Diego Padres |
| 1994 | Randy Smith | RHP | 25 | 707 | Toronto Blue Jays |
| 1988 | Mike Reitzel | LHP | 23 | 583 | Texas Rangers |
| 1967 | John Sellers | SS | 6 | 107 | Cincinnati Reds |
| 1966 | Thomas Henderson | RHP | 15 | 293 | Cincinnati Reds |
| 1966 | John Sellers | INF | 29 | 559 | Oakland Athletics |
MLB draft started in 1965
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