Phil Morse ’16 became the first Shenandoah University baseball player taken in the Major League Draft in at least the past 25 years when he was selected by the Washington Nationals Saturday afternoon.
Morse, a first team All-ODAC and second team All-Region selection for the Hornets this past season, becomes the first SU player drafted during Kevin Anderson‘s 13-year tenure as head coach. The Nats drafted Morse in the sixteenth round with pick No. 484 of the 40-round draft.
Morse was 5-0 this season with eight saves in 22 appearances as he was selected first team All-ODAC and first team All-State as a relief pitcher.
His final outing in an SU uniform was possibly his finest as he tossed the final 6 1/3 innings in a 10-8 victory over Birmingham-Southern that pushed Shenandoah into the NCAA South Region championship contest.
The Vienna, Virginia native finished his career with a 12-8 record and nine saves in 140.0 innings pitched over 55 appearances. He also struck out 118 batters.
After being converted to reliever prior to the 2015 season, Morse posted 9.24 strikeouts per nine innings and a 0.74 ERA.
Upon signing with the Nationals, Morse will be assigned to one of their minor league affiliates. The Nats have a short-season Class A team in Auburn, New York and a full-season Class A team in Hagerstown, Maryland.
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Chris Graham
