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Oakland Athletics selected Michigan's Jeff Criswell in Round 2 of 2020 MLB draft

Two players from Michigan baseball were selected Thursday in the 2020 MLB draft . The Oakland Athletics selected pitcher Jeff Criswell in the second round with the 58th overall pick. His teammate, outfielder Jordan Nwogu, was tabbed by the Chicago Cubs 88th overall in the third round. Criswell, a right-handed pitcher, helped the Wolverines reach the College World Series in 2019. He was first drafted in the 35th round of the 2017 draft by the Detroit Tigers out of Portage Central High, but chose to play in college. His power arm gives him versatility as either a starter or reliever in the pros. Criswell developed physically during his three-year career at U-M, entering the draft at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. The 21-year-old's fastball has touched 97 mph, which compliments his improved slide and changeup. He was a top reliever as a freshman, pitching 32 1/3 innings over 24 appearances with a 2.23 ERA and 32 strikeouts. Last season, in his first year as a starter, he was 7-1 with a 2.72 ERA across 106 innings in 22 games (17 starts). He struck out 116 hitters and walked 50. Criswell tossed five scoreless innings in relief against Vanderbilt in the College World Series and was named first team All-Big Ten. Before the 2020 season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, he held opponents to a .205 batting average with a 4.50 ERA in four starts. Unlike Criswell, Nwogu has never been drafted, but his time has finally come. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound outfielder could've played football in college as a defensive end or linebacker, and that skill set plays into the power he presents. In the 2019 season, he hit .321 with 14 doubles, four triples, 12 home runs and 46 RBIs, striking out 51 times compared to 44 walks. He was named first team All-Big Ten as a designated hitter. In 15 games before this season was canceled, he had two homers and four RBIs. Nwogu has 30 stolen bases in his three-year career, giving him a rare combination of power and speed that could help him translate to the pros. He has spent time in center and left field, but is expected to play a corner spot with the Cubs.