MLB Draft: Miami University's Sam Bachman selected No. 9 by Los Angeles Angels

OXFORD – The 73rd Miami University baseball player to be selected in the Major League Baseball Draft is the first in the history of the school to be picked in the first round.

Sam Bachman, who just finished his junior season, was picked ninth overall in the 2021 Draft by the Angels. He was the fourth pitcher chosen overall.

Bachman was the highest-rated of the Greater Cincinnati college and high school players. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound righty can hit the 96-99 mile per hour range with his fastball and possesses a change-up in the mid-80s

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For the Miami RedHawks this past spring, Bachman was 4-4 with a 1.81 ERA striking out 93 batters in 59 ⅔ innings making him First Team Mid-American Conference.

In 2020's limited campaign due to the coronavirus pandemic, he was 1-2 with a 3.42 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 23 ⅔ innings. His initial RedHawk season saw him named Freshman All-American, MAC Freshman of the Year and First Team MAC when he was 7-1 with a 3.93 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 75 ⅔ innings. 

Bachman's overall grade point average at Miami was 3.31 as a pre-med microbiology major with a minor in premedical studies.

He played his high school ball for Hamilton Southeastern in Fishers, Indiana. In two seasons, he struck out 100 of the 307 hitters he faced in 21 career appearances. 

There have been 24 former Miami University players to make it to the big leagues. Pitcher Jordan Jankowski was the most recent, drafted in the 34th round in 2012 and pitching in three games for the Astros in 2017. 

More recognizable names include Walter Alston from nearby Darrtown (albeit for one game and more known as the long-time manager of the Dodgers). Those with Cincinnati Reds connections include Brooks Lawrence, Jack Baldschun, Charlie Leibrandt, Bill Doran and Chris Sexton. Leibrandt (1979-1993) and Doran (1982-1993) had the longest careers.

Others include Bill Long, Tim Naehring and Scott Sauerbeck.

Bachman was coached at Miami by Danny Hayden, who just finished his eighth season. Hayden was a catcher for both Miami and Xavier. Before taking the head coaching job at Miami in 2014 he was a Xavier assistant and he's also coached with the prestigious Midland Redskins summer team.