Los Angeles – The 2022 Major League Baseball draft took place from July 17-19 in Los Angeles, and for the first time as a Division I program, a Tarleton Texan heard his name called.
Tarleton junior pitcher
Matthew Hickey was selected in the 15th round by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 457th overall pick on Tuesday afternoon.
Hickey made 21 appearances and threw 32.0 innings this season – his first-and-final in Stephenville. The right-hander finished the 2022 campaign with a 2-2 record and five saves. His 1.38 WHIP ranked second on the team and he posted a 40/7 strikeout to walk ratio.
"We are excited for Matthew and his family," said head coach
Aaron Meade. "This is a great opportunity for him, and we wish him the best of luck. You couldn't ask for a better organization to take a chance on you, the Cardinals develop pitchers as well as anyone."
Hickey began the season pitching mostly in relief and serving as Tarleton's closer, racking up three saves in consecutive appearances early in the season. As the spring wore on, he was called upon by Meade to make a few extended outings. Hickey made his two longest appearances in back-to-back series. He fired 5.1 innings, punched out five and allowed just one run vs. Sam Houston on April 23. Hickey then made his lone start of the season at UTRGV on May 1, where he threw 4.2 innings and struck out a season-high seven batters.
The most recent Tarleton baseball player
to be selected in the MLB Draft was
Ryan Turner in 2011 by the Tampa Bay Rays. Hickey is the eighth Texan taken in the major league first year player draft in the program's history.
