June 10, 2015 LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - Two UNLV pitchers were selected on the final day of the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday, as senior Joey Lauria was picked in the 25th round at 744th overall by the Philadelphia Phillies and junior Bryan Bonnell was the Tampa Bay Rays' 36th round selection at 1,078th overall.
Lauria and Bonnell join fellow Rebel Joey Armstrong, who was drafted in the 10th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Armstrong became the fourth UNLV baseball player in three years to be drafted in the top-10 rounds. It is the third consecutive year that at least three Rebels players were drafted.
Lauria tied for a team-high 21 appearances in 2015, finished with a 3-3 record and recorded 60 strikeouts in 52.0 innings of work while holding a 3.12 ERA. His 5.45 strikeout-to-walk ratio led the team. He also held opposing batters to a .242 average, which was the fourth lowest on the team.
He leaves UNLV with a career 3.44 ERA to go with a 5-6 record, 99 strikeouts and held opposing batters to a .265 average in 91.2 innings.
Bonnell battled through injuries as a junior and finished with a 7.39 ERA to go with a 1-5 record. He recorded 19 strikeouts in 28.0 innigs of work. His collected his first career save against San José State on May 16.
As a sophomore, Bonnell sported a 7-5 record to go with a 2.90 ERA. He struck out 48 and held opponents to a .248 average in 114.2 innings of work. He was also named to the Gregg Olson Award Watch List, which honors college baseball's "Breakout Player of the Year." He made 12 quality starts and did not allow a walk in his first 30.0 innings of work.
UNLV also had two members of its 2015 recruiting class selected during the three-day draft: Dean Kremer, a right-handed pitcher from Delta College in Calif., was selected in the 38th round by the San Diego Padres; Sam Pastrone, a right-handed pitcher from Arbor View High School in Las Vegas, was selected in the 17th round by the Los Angeles Angels.
