Prep Baseball Report

Tilson heads Day 2 of MLB Draft



The second day of the Major League Baseball Draft concluded Tuesday with a relative thud. Only 26 players from Illinois were selected through the first 30 rounds. Illinois prep prospects particularly didn’t fare well, especially since this was supposed to be a bumper crop of talent coming into the season. Only five Illinois high school prospects were selected Tuesday.

New Trier outfielder Charlie Tilson was the big winner, as the 6-foot, 175-pound athlete was selected in the second round, No. 79 overall, by the St. Louis Cardinals. The left-handed hitting Tilson, a three-year standout who helped lead the Trevians to the state title as a sophomore, was recently named the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. Tilson, who is signed with the University of Illinois, is currently the No. 1-ranked Illinois prospect in the Class of 2011.

Anthony Cingrani, a left-hander who pitched at Lincoln-Way Central HS and South Suburban College before signing with Rice, was taken in the third round. Cingrani was lightly recruited out of high school.  Former St. Rita standout Tony Zych, now at Louisville, was picked in the fourth round by the Cubs. The Cubs also drafted Zych out of high school. Kyle Gaedele, a former Rolling Meadows HS outfielder now at Valparaiso, was picked by the Padres in the sixth round.

Following Tilson in the prep ranks was Garrett Schlecht, an athletic 6-foot-2 OF/LHP from Waterloo HS who was selected in the ninth round, 279th overall, by the Cubs. Downers Grove South RHP Nick Burdi went in the 24th round to the Twins, while Rock Falls RHP Jakob Junis and Teutopolis LHP Derek Thompson were both taken in the 29th round.