After deciding to attend the University of Rochester, mainly for the academics, and after making his way onto his university’s baseball team as a walk-on, all Nolan Sparks wanted to do was “just to keep on playing.â€
Even as the right-hander saw many of his peers at the NCAA Division III level turn to internships and paths outside of the baseball, he still felt otherwise.
“For some reason, I just had an itch to keep on playing,†Sparks said. “An itch to always play when I can, always get better when I can. Slowly and slowly, I just got better and better.â€
He’ll get his chance to do so.
The 21-year-old had his dreams of getting drafted into professional baseball become reality Tuesday when the Cardinals picked him in the 13th round of the 2024 MLB draft. He was one of 10 players the Cardinals selected on Day 3. ºüÀêÊÓƵ’ other picks from rounds 11-20 of the first-year player draft include four pitchers, four infielders and one outfielder.
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“It’s a crazy moment where, even though I was hopeful and kind of expecting to be able to get picked up by a certain team, you just never really understand what it’s like to go through it until you’ve been through it,†Sparks said. “It was just amazing. A whole lot of weight taken off my shoulders. It’s just kind of a moment where you’re not even on cloud nine, you’re just somewhere above that because you know all the hard work has gotten you there.â€
While playing for Rochester, Sparks posted a 3.06 ERA, struck out 248 batters in 209 innings and held opposing hitters to a .201 average. He played sparingly as a freshman in 2021 before becoming a starter in his final three years. A 7-0 record, 2.76 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 62 innings as a junior in 2023 earned him Liberty League pitcher of the year honors.
His winter training ahead of his senior season led him to Tread Athletics, a training center in Charlotte, North Carolina, that has been used by Cardinals like Andre Pallante and Zack Thompson. Because the 5-foot-11 righty listed at 195 pounds didn’t have “the luxury of a big frame,†he knew improvements in the weight room could only take his velocity so far.
“The arm was kind of there,†Sparks said. “Just needed the rest of the body to kind of be more athletic. It was kind of endless training of getting all that tuned out.â€
The offseason mechanical and mobility work improved his average velocity from 92 mph to 95 mph with the ability to flash 96 mph. The improved fastball highlights a pitch repertoire that includes a cutter, a gyro slider, and a curveball. He said he’s working on an off-speed pitch to combat righties.
With the gains, he posted a 2.25 ERA and struck out 80 batters in 60 innings as a senior to earn conference pitcher of the year honors for a second consecutive season and a call from the Cardinals.
“When you’re starting to get to this spot of the draft, you’re really listening to your scouts and who they like,†Cardinals assistant general manager and scouting director Randy Flores said of Sparks. “... A credit goes to our scouting department for tagging him. And then, additionally, we really thought he moved well.
“You’re checking with (senior minor league pitching coordinator) Tim Leveque and his group (on) what type of upside and what more can we get out of him. He did have a gain in stuff. His strikeout rate spiked. We actually really liked out how he moved. How he got down the mound. I thought we might even be able to make continued adjustments and improvements in him as a pro.â€
Along with Sparks, the Cardinals’ Day 3 picks include right-handers Mason Burns (14th round), Sam Brodersen (15th round) and Missouri State’s Brandt Thompson (17th round); lefty Owen Rice (20th round); shortstops Jon Jon Gazdar (11th round), Christian Martin (18th round) and Brendan Lawson (19th round); outfielder Ian Petrutz (12th round); and third baseman Deniel Ortiz (16th round).
Lawson — an 18-year-old out of P27 Academy in Lexington, South Carolina — came into the draft ranked as Baseball America’s No. 132 prospect and is committed to the University of Florida. Flores said it is a “a long shot, a very long shot†that the Cardinals could sign him.
Local line
ºüÀêÊÓƵ University outfielder and Chaminade graduate Patrick Clohisy was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 11th round. Fellow SLU product and Belleville East grad Evan Gray was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 15th round.
Christian Brothers College grad and Louisiana State right-hander Christian Little was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 11th round.
Summit High grad Sean Barnett, who played three seasons for Wingate University, was drafted in the 11th round by the San Diego Padres. Barnett is listed as a two-way player.
Missouri State righty and CBC grad Eric Loomis was taken by the Texas Rangers in the 16th round.
Borgia alum and Mizzou product Bryce Mayer was selected by the Houston Astros in the 16th round.
Mizzou’s Ryan Magdic was drafted in the 14th round by the Oakland Athletics, while fellow Tiger Carter Rustad was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 15th round.
SIU Carbondale righty Aidan Foeller was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 11th round.
University of Illinois’ Camden Janik was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 12th round.