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Streich Drafted in Sixth Round of MLB Draft by Oakland

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Seth Streich, Ohio’s aptly named right-handed ace, was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the sixth round (199 overall) of the 2012 Major League Baseball first-year player draft on Tuesday. 

“I think it has sunk in quicker than I expected it to… It’s been a great day so far,” said Streich. “I’m sure it’s something I’ll remember forever.”
 
Streich had been talking to a few teams before the draft, but the Athletics were not one of them. “I was getting phone calls from three or four teams before, but not the Athletics,” said Streich.
 
Contract negotiations should take place sometime next week according to Streich.
 
Streich is the first Ohio player to be drafted since 2010. The Bobcats had three players drafted that year; they were Gauntlett Eldermire, Robert Maddox III and Jerod Yakubik. 
 
Former Ohio Head Coach Joe Carbone sees similarities between Streich and the draftees from 2010.
 
“Streich compares very well to the players drafted in 2010 because they were all great athletes. He got it done, he wasn’t impatient and he still has a high ceiling,” Carbone said.
 
Streich battled through injuries to record a team-high 62 strikeouts. He tossed three complete games this year for the Bobcats, with a 4.42 ERA. 
 
Carbone was very impressed with the progress and work ethic that Streich displayed in his career at Ohio, complementing Streich's "coachability."
 
“Seth worked very hard to become a good pitcher. He got injured this year and overcame that. But, I also think that Coach See did a great job at perfecting his pitching motion, because as a freshman, he was all over the place. Seth is very coachable, he listens, and he works very hard. And that’s rare, because in today’s society, you don’t get many guys who are coachable anymore,” said Carbone.
 
Streich can also swing the bat; he recorded 11 home runs and 60 RBI in his collegiate career, and that will help him in his professional career. But, as Carbone said, the mental aspect of the game becomes extremely crucial in professional ball. 
 
“The big part of it is mental, because everyone you play with or against is very physically gifted. You need to maintain your mental discipline and take care of your body…keep your mouth shut, hustle and play hard. You don’t want to hurt yourself from advancing,” said Carbone. 
 
“These past few years at Ohio University have really turned me into a man,” remarked Streich. 
 
Those words from Streich are a testament to Carbone, who only asks one thing of his recently drafted star pitcher. “He just needs to make sure he texts me once a week,” said Carbone half-jokingly. “So I know what’s going on.”