KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University right-handed pitcher Matt Swarmer (Mohnton, Pa./Governor Mifflin) was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 19th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Saturday.
 
Swarmer was selected with the 584th pick on the third day of the draft. He is the 14th Golden Bear to be selected in the MLB first-year player draft since 1997. He is the first Golden Bear selected in the MLB Draft since Shayne Houck in 2012 (29th round, San Francisco) and the highest since Darin Gorski in 2009 (seventh round, New York Mets).
 
The Mohnton native was Kutztown's ace this season and earned his first career All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) First Team honor. He went 3-5 with a 3.70 ERA over 10 starts for the Golden Bears (20-31). He led KU in strikeouts, fanning 85 batters over 58.1 innings (sixth-most in PSAC). Swarmer paced a KU staff that finished with 365 strikeouts (fourth in PSAC).
 
His strikeout-per-nine rate of 13.1 in the highest season total in KU history.
 
Swarmer finished his career with a 12-11 record and 3.11 ERA. The four-year pitcher struck out 224 batters over 171 innings, sixth in KU history for career strikeouts. His 63 appearances are tied for fourth at KU while his 14 career saves are third in program history. 
 
He joins KU Hall of Famer Ryan Vogelsong of the Pittsburgh Pirates as current Golden Bears in MLB.
 
Swarmer, a leisure and sports studies major, graduated with a degree in leisure and sport studies in May.