Rangers draft J’burg’s Grundy

Johnsburg graduate Jerad Grundy was selected in the 46th round by the Texas Rangers in the MLB draft on Friday. Grundy, who has an 80 percent scholarship to Division I Miami (Fla.). If Grundy does not sign, he will not be eligible until after his junior season. (Northwest Herald file photo)

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On the third day of Major League Baseball’s Amateur Draft, Johnsburg pitcher Jerad Grundy finally got a call.

The Texas Rangers selected Grundy in the 46th round, much later than anticipated going into the draft. Grundy, a 6-foot left-hander who throws in the low 90 mph range, signed with Miami (Fla.) in November, so many teams did not use an early pick because they thought he would not sign.

Still, the interest in Grundy was serious this spring. At many of his games, there were double figures of scouts watching.

He said he had 15 home visits from major league scouts with his family.

“All the scouts knew it was going to be hard for me to back out of Miami,” Grundy said. “Scouts categorized me as an ‘extremely tough sign.’ ”

Grundy was 4-6 this season for the 10-28-1 Skyhawks and was outstanding in the postseason, where he went 2-0 with one save, threw 152⁄3 innings, struck out 20 batters and allowed only two hits.

For the season, he threw 75 innings, struck out 117, walked 21 and had a 1.38 ERA.

Grundy said the Rangers called his father, Randy, about 1 p.m. Thursday. The team said it would send a representative to the Grundy home sometime next week.

With an 80 percent scholarship to Miami, one of the nation’s elite programs, Grundy likely will not sign.

“I learned a lot about the process for next time if I don’t sign now,” Grundy said. “Now I know how everything works and how to handle it.”

If he goes to Miami, Grundy will not be eligible for the draft again until after his junior season.