Iowa pitcher Nick Gallagher drafted by Indians, will turn pro

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Iowa Hawkeyes are losing two of their top juniors to professional baseball. One is not a surprise, the other maybe a bit of a surprise.

Slugging first baseman Jake Adams officially signed a contract Wednesday with the Houston Astros. The NCAA's home runs leader was a sixth-round draft pick of the club Tuesday.

Starting pitcher Nick Gallagher was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 16th round Wednesday and said he has agreed to forego his final year of college eligibility and turn pro.

'We're gonna go,' Gallagher said. 'It was a really, really tough decision. Going back to Iowa, I know this has been the best three years of my life. Playing for the University of Iowa was a dream come true. Either way this week, we kept telling ourselves we were in a great situation. It was a win-win. I either go back to Iowa, or I get to start my professional career. That was the thing we kind of hung our hat on this whole week.

'When I got my named called, the Indians scout, who I had talked a lot to in the past, called and made an offer. It was about what we were looking for. We're just really excited.'

Adams will receive a bonus of $249,500, which was the exact value of his pick, as set pre-draft by Major League Baseball. Gallagher's bonus is unknown, though teams cannot give bonuses of more than $125,000 to any draft pick outside the top 10 rounds without it counting toward its overall top-10 round pool, again as assigned by MLB.

If teams go over their top-10 round pool, they are subjected to taxation and the possibility of losing future draft picks.

'This is a pretty surreal feeling,' Gallagher said. 'There for awhile, we didn't know what was going to happen. It just ended up working out. The draft, you can never really predict it, we didn't really know what to expect. It's a roller-coaster of emotions, but you've just got to try and stay even keel and hopefully your name gets called.'

Right-hander Gallagher went 8-2 with a 3.48 earned run average in 16 appearances, 15 starts, this season for Iowa. He originally was a walk-on.

Gallagher was the third Hawkeye to go in the 2017 draft, following Adams and senior shortstop Mason McCoy, who went seven picks after Adams in the sixth round (to the Baltimore Orioles). McCoy also will sign and begin his professional career.

A fourth Hawkeye went in the 30th round, as left-handed pitcher Ryan Erickson was selected by the Chicago White Sox. The senior from Mason City was 4-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 16 games, 12 starts, this past season.

Others taken on the third and final day of the draft included Kirkwood Community College shortstop Kory Howell, to the Kansas City Royals. The freshman from Chicago led the Eagles this past season with a .394 batting average.

Howell is believed to be the first draft pick from Kirkwood since 2010.

Right-handed pitcher Keaton Winn of Iowa Western Community College was drafted in the 20th round by the San Francisco Giants. Righty pitcher Anderson DeLeon of Iowa Central C.C. went to the Cincinnati Reds in the 24th round.

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