Cox, Broom Selected on Day Two of 2018 MLB Draft

MACON, Ga. – Mercer juniors Austin Cox and Robert Broom became the first teammates in program history to be selected inside the first 10 rounds of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, as both pitchers had their names called Tuesday afternoon.

Cox was selected by the Kansas City Royals organization in the fifth round (152nd overall pick) while the Cleveland Indians organization selected Broom with the 313th overall pick in the 10th round. Mercer has now seen 21 players drafted during head coach Craig Gibson's tenure since 2004. It is also the fourth time in the last five years that at least two Bears have been selected in the same draft class.

"We're thrilled to see Austin [Cox] and [Robert] Broom get chances to play at the next level with a great organizations in Kansas City and Cleveland," said head coach Craig Gibson. "Cox is a great worker who will lead by example; his future is very bright. Broom has a proven track record of simply getting outs in big situations. [Broom] is a winner when it's all said and done and that will translate well.

"To see your name come across the [draft] ticker is a special thing. It's a great day for our program and our university as a whole whenever one of these young men get the chance to play at the next level. It says a lot about the development they receive here at Mercer and it is definitely the most rewarding part of what we do."

Cox was one of five players nationally with 17 or more starts this spring as he became the ninth player in program history to toss 100-plus strikeouts in a single season (124). The left-hander ranked ninth nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (12.73) and led Mercer in innings pitched (87.2) while going 7-4 with a 4.52 earned run average.

A local product from Forsyth, Ga., and First Presbyterian Day High School, Cox made serious strides over his three years with the Bears; he posted a 10.12 ERA over 24 innings as a freshman before earning a role in Mercer's rotation as a sophomore in 2017. Cox started 33 games at Mercer while making 59 total appearances on the mound.

Broom further established himself as one of the top collegiate relief pitchers in the Southeast with a dominant junior season. The right-handed sidewinder earned All-America Third Team honors from Baseball America last week and was named to his second consecutive All-SoCon First Team after posting a 1.70 ERA over 74.0 innings pitched. With 111 strikeouts this spring, Broom joined Cox as the 10th player in program's 100-strikeout club. He also ranked third nationally with 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Broom was used no less than 31 times on the mound each season, resulting in 103 career appearances. He was particularly dominant during his sophomore and junior seasons, posting a record of 18-6 while striking out 193 batters and limiting opponents to a .202 batting average.

The 2018 MLB Draft will conclude Wednesday with rounds 11-40 starting at noon. All draft selections can be followed using the MLB Draft Tracker.

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Cox, Broom Selected on Day Two of 2018 MLB Draft

Players Mentioned

Robert Broom

Austin Cox

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