The Washington Nationals selected Alliance High School product and Ohio State pitcher Gavin Bruni in the 17th round of the Major League Baseball Draft on Tuesday.
Bruni was the 500th overall pick, marking the seventh straight year a Stark County native was chosen in the MLB Draft. Massillon product and Kent State first baseman Aidan Longwell was picked last year, also in the 17th round (502nd overall), by the Colorado Rockies. The 21-year-old Bruni is the first Alliance alum to be drafted since Tim Saunders was selected in the 32nd round out of Marietta College in 2012.
Bruni has eligibility remaining at Ohio State. The deadline to sign with the Nationals is Aug. 1.
Bruni, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound lefty, went 4-3 with a 5.81 ERA in 14 appearances (13 starts) this past season as a junior. He struck out 60 batters in 57.1 innings. For his Buckeyes career, Bruni is 9-6 with a 5.57 ERA in 36 appearances.
His best season at Ohio State came as a sophomore when he went 5-3 with a 4.87 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 57.1 innings. He was named Academic All-Big Ten and an OSU Scholar Athlete that year.
Bruni has been a highly touted prospect going back to before he threw a pitch in high school. He was ranked as the No. 1 high school prospect in Ohio for the class of 2021 by multiple outlets. As a senior for the Aviators, Bruni allowed one earned run in 37 innings while striking out 79 batters. He was named EBC Player of the Year and First Team All-America by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
He finished his high school career with 209 strikeouts in 107 innings.
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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Washington Nationals draft pitcher Gavin Bruni of Alliance, Ohio State in 2024 MLB draft
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