ELON, N.C. – The second day of the 2019 MLB Draft saw another pair of Elon University baseball players taken as both Kyle Brnovichand Ty Adcock went in the eighth round. Brnovich was chosen by the Los Angeles Angels with the 241st pick, and Adcock followed shortly after as the Seattle Mariners picked him 246th overall.
With George Kirby selected by the Mariners in the first round yesterday, this marks the first time in program history that the Phoenix has had three players go in the first 10 rounds of a draft. In 2001, Anaheim Angels picked Brad Pinkerton in the fifth round and the Cincinnati Reds called Scott Light's name in the sixth round. Seattle also continued its trend of taking Elon products as Adcock is now the fourth Phoenix to be chosen by the Mariners in the last four years.
A right-hander from Milton, Ga., Brnovich finished the season 7-3 with a 3.66 ERA in 14 starts and added 110 strikeouts in 86.0 innings pitched. He earned Third Team All-CAA honors and was named conference Pitcher of the Week on April 8. He finished his time at Elon with 360 career strikeouts, good for the program career strikeout record as well as second place on the CAA's record list. Last year, Brnovich was named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and played on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
Brnovich also had a big outing for Elon in an elimination game at this year's conference tournament. Playing William & Mary for the right to meet UNCW in the title game, Brnovich went 8.0 complete innings against the Tribe. He held the green, gold, and silver to just two runs on seven hits and a walk while fanning seven. The effort helped the Phoenix make its first appearance in the CAA final since joining the conference.
An Oxford, N.C native, Adcock was a two-way player for the Phoenix, playing both outfield and pitching in the closing role this year. At the plate, the All-CAA Third Team honoree led the team with 12 home runs and 56 RBIs and finished the season with a .251 clip. Out of the pen, he racked up nine saves to go along with a 4-1 mark and a 2.32 ERA. In 31.0 innings of relief, he totaled 37 punch outs and held opposing batters to a .241 average. On April 15, he was named the CAA Player of the Week after batting .400 with a double, two homers, and nine RBI's in a 3-1 week for Elon.
Adcock also played a pivotal role for Elon in Harrisonburg, Va. as he batted 6-for-22 (.272) with two home runs, three doubles, eight RBIs, and three runs scored. He also tossed 3.2 innings of relief, allowing only one unearned run while retiring six batters. The effort garnered him an All-Tournament Team selection.
