MLB Draft: Nationals pick Tallmadge's Phil Glasser; Orioles tab Highland's Zane Barnhart
Tallmadge alum Phillip Glasser and Highland alum Zane Barnhart were rivals on a baseball field in the Suburban League American Conference a few years ago.
Fast forward to 2023, and they were both selected in the Major League Baseball Draft.
The Washington Nationals selected Glasser on Monday with the 285th overall pick in the 10th round.
Glasser, 23, played shortstop at Indiana University the past two seasons after playing three seasons at Youngstown State. He helped Tallmadge win the Division II state championship as a junior in 2017 and reach a Division II state semifinal as a senior in 2018.
"This is a great opportunity for Phil," Tallmadge coach Kenny Linn said. "I am very happy for him and his family. ... Phil got drafted in the 10th round and these teams draft players from all over the world. The Washington Nationals think enough of him that he can climb the ladder quick."
The Baltimore Orioles picked Barnhart on Tuesday with the 511th overall choice in the 17th round.
Barnhart, 21, competed as a right-handed pitcher at Hillsdale College in Michigan the past three seasons. He elected to transfer to West Virginia for the 2024 season and will have to decide whether to remain in college or turn pro.
"I couldn't be more excited for Zane and his family," Highland coach Jay Grissom said. "Zane was part of that COVID class [in 2020], so he lost his senior year of high school. He had such a great year as a junior and we were looking forward to seeing what he was going to do as a senior and we all lost that season. Then he goes up to Hillsdale and has a great career up there."
Phillip Glasser earns All-Big Ten Conference honors as Indiana shortstop
Glasser, who is 6-foot and 200 pounds, started all 63 games at shortstop for Indiana this past season and earned All-Big Ten Conference second team honors. He finished with a .357 batting average with 95 hits, 70 runs, 19 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 48 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.
Glasser reached base in 61 of 63 games in 2023 and multiple times on 41 occasions. He posted a 45-game reached base streak that ran from February 17 to April 30, which tied for the longest by an IU hitter since Dustin DeMuth in 2014. Glasser compiled 32 multi-hit games, 10 multi-RBI games and 19 multi-run scored games.
Glasser is the second MLB draftee that Linn has coached at Tallmadge during his 20 seasons. Tallmadge graduate Carlo Testa was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2008.
"Phil flies to West Palm Sunday or Monday for a physical and I think they will send him to the Northeast region to a Nationals minor league affiliate," Linn said.
Glasser's 2022 season at Indiana included a .346 batting average in 47 starts with 65 hits, 43 runs, 12 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 25 RBIs and six stolen bases.
Glasser batted .293 in three seasons at Youngstown State. He played in 118 games and totaled 125 hits, 20 doubles, six home runs, five triples, 52 RBIs and 35 stolen bases.
Zane Barnhart improves fastball as relief pitcher at Hillsdale
Barnhart, who is 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds, finished the 2023 season with a 5-1 record, six saves and a 2.06 ERA in 20 appearances. He allowed 23 hits and 10 earned runs, and recorded 61 strikeouts to 10 walks in 43⅔ innings for an impressive 12.57 strikeouts per nine innings average.
Barnhart became Hillsdale's closer in 2022 when he saved six games, had a 2.21 ERA, struck out 32, walked five and allowed 16 hits and five earned runs in 20⅓ innings.
In three seasons at Hillsdale, Barnhart made 44 appearances (43 in relief) on the mound. He totaled a 6-5 record, 13 saves, a 3.28 ERA, 109 strikeouts and 25 walks in 74 innings.
"The growth that he has had at Hillsdale has been incredible," Grissom said. "He was a mid-80s guy [with his fastball] in high school and now he is a upper-90s guy [with his fastball]. The work he has put in is impressive. He has earned everything he is getting. ... He has real long arms and legs and he really enjoys the weight room."
Barnhart is the second MLB draftee that Grissom has coached at Highland in 11 seasons. Highland graduate and current Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Luke Raley was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016.
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Tallmadge's Phil Glasser and Highland's Zane Barnhart are MLB draftees
