Pittsburgh, Pa. – North Allegheny graduate Cole Young was selected by the Seattle Mariners with the 21st overall pick in the 2022 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft on Sunday evening, becoming the seventh player from a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) school to be taken in the first round since the amateur draft began in 1965.
Young is the 14th student-athlete from North Allegheny to be picked in the MLB Draft, joining Ken Baurle (1988), Mike Butia (2004), Tom Carroll (1970), Chris Cooper (2001), Todd Davidson (1979, 1981), Andrew Dobies (2004), Eric Dorsch (2013, 2014), Paul Failla (1991, 1994), Josh Hungerman (2008, 2009), Justin Ross (1998), Scott Schroeffel (1992, 1996), and Cory Sullivan (2001). Baurle, Carroll, Davidson, Failla, McCarthy, and Schroeffel were selected after graduating from North Allegheny.
Including collegiate student-athletes, the WPIAL has made itself an MLB Draft fixture over the past eight years with six former players going in the first round. Young joins Mars’s Will Bednar (2021), Mt. Lebanon’s Ian Happ (2015), West Allegheny’s Austin Hendrick (2020), Plum’s Alex Kirilloff (2016), and Blackhawk’s Brendan McKay (2017). Bednar (Mississippi State University), Happ (University of Cincinnati), and McKay (University of Louisville) all played college baseball following their high school graduations.
Young signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to attend Duke University last November.
WPIAL First Round Selection History (from HS only)
Year Name Pos. School Pick Team
2022 Cole Young SS North Allegheny 21 Seattle Mariners
2020 Austin Hendrick OF West Allegheny 12 Cincinnati Reds
2016 Alex Kirilloff OF Plum 15 Minnesota Twins
2004 Neil Walker C Pine-Richland 11 Pittsburgh Pirates
1978 Tim Conroy LHP Gateway 20 Oakland Athletics
1974 Scot Thompson OF Knoch 7 Chicago Cubs
1970 Bob Gorinski SS Mt. Pleasant 22 Minnesota Twins
North Allegheny MLB Draft History
Year Name Pos. Round Pick Team
2022 Cole Young SS 1 21 Seattle Mariners
2014 Eric Dorsch RHP 15 461 Pittsburgh Pirates
2013 Eric Dorsch RHP 21 645 Cincinnati Reds
2009 Josh Hungerman LHP 17 511 Colorado Rockies
2008 Josh Hungerman LHP 50 1499 Colorado Rockies
2004 Andrew Dobies LHP 3 95 Boston Red Sox
2004 Mike Butia OF 5 137 Cleveland Indians
2001 Cory Sullivan OF 7 214 Colorado Rockies
2001 Chris Cooper LHP 35 1037 Cleveland Indians
1998 Justin Ross OF 16 481 Anaheim Angels
1996 Scott Schroeffel RHP 15 446 Colorado Rockies
1994 Paul Failla SS 3 69 California Angels
1994 Kevin McCarthy OF 4 92 New York Mets
1992 Scott Schroeffel RHP 33 912 Baltimore Orioles
1991 Paul Failla SS 7 184 Kansas City Royals
1988 Ken Baurle RHP 58 1354 Pittsburgh Pirates
1981 Todd Davidson OF 2 45 Pittsburgh Pirates
1979 Todd Davidson OF 17 418 New York Mets
1970 Tom Carroll RHP 6 138 Cincinnati Reds
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