Mechals drafted by White Sox

Grand Canyon senior right-handed pitcher Kade Mechals was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

GCU's ace of the last two seasons becomes the 96th player in program history to be drafted. At 112th overall, Mechals was the fourth-highest pitcher to be selected in Lopes baseball history.

A GCU player now has been picked in seven consecutive drafts. Mechals becomes the program's eighth pick in the top five rounds.

"We couldn't be more excited for Kade," GCU head coach Andy Stankiewicz said of his 18th Lopes draftee in nine years. "He had the opportunity to sign last year, but believed in himself and our program. To come back and now be a fourth-round pick of the Chicago White Sox — proud is an understatement."

Mechals joins David Walker (2015), Erik DeRosiers (1995) and Andre Toliver (1985) as the four GCU players to be selected by the White Sox.

The McMinnville, Oregon, native was a 40th-round selection of the Miami Marlins last year but elected to return to GCU following a breakout season in 2019. Mechals leaves GCU with a career 2.19 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 107 innings pitched, finishing with a 12-2 record.

In one full season plus three starts of a second season, Mechals racked up marquee wins on the mound over the likes of nationally ranked Oklahoma State and TCU, in addition to USC and Wichita State.

Mechals made an immediate impact in the GCU rotation after transferring from Skagit Valley College. Mechals was the opening day starter in 2019 and went 11-1 with a 2.16 ERA, the lowest mark in GCU's Division I history. He also became the first GCU pitcher to reach the 100-strikeout mark since Jeff Swanson in 2004. His 11 wins were tied for the nation's lead prior to the start of the NCAA tournament and were the most wins in program history since Bart Grubbs also won 11 in 1991. His .193 opponent batting average in conference play earned him honors on the All-WAC first team, a first at GCU since 2014.

In the shortened 2020 season, Mechals made his second consecutive opening day start and limited No. 16 Oklahoma State to one run on three hits with eight strikeouts in five innings of a 10-3 win. The right-hander finished with a 1-1 record in three starts, pitching 15 1/3 innings with 18 strikeouts and a .164 opponent batting average.

GCU and New Mexico State, whose star Nick Gonzles went No. 7, were the only other WAC programs to have a player selected in the new five-round draft format.

That's our ace! Kade Mechals is drafted by the @whitesox in the fourth round of the @MLBDraft. #LopesInThePros pic.twitter.com/qK7n1nJrfw
— GCU Baseball (@GCU_Baseball) June 12, 2020

With our fourth-round pick (112th overall) in the #MLBDraft, the White Sox select RHP Kade Mechals from Grand Canyon University. pic.twitter.com/m8dh41LTUH
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) June 12, 2020

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Kade Mechals

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