Two George Mason pitchers taken in MLB Draft

Another local baseball player named Bryce hopes to make it to the major leagues one day.

Bryce Harper of the Nationals is already in The Show. Now Bryce Nightengale of George Mason University is trying to get there.

A right-handed pitcher, he was taken in the 16th round on Wednesday by the Oakland A’s on the last day of three-day MLB draft. Nightengale played at Allegany High in western Maryland.

He was the first player from Mason ever drafted by Oakland and the ninth player in school history to go in the 16th round or higher. He was 6-6 with a 3.45 ERA this past season and pitched 88.2 innings.

“I do have one more year of eligibility (at Mason),” Nightengale told The Washington Times on Thursday. “I have not signed yet. Given the chance to play professional baseball is a once-in-a-lifetime deal.”

The 6-foot-5 Nightengale is slated to meet Friday with Tripp Faulk, the Richmond-area scout with Oakland who suggested that the A’s draft him. If all goes well and he signs, Nightengale said he could leave Sunday for Mesa, Arizona, the spring training and Arizona League home of the A’s.

“I am ready to pursue my dream,” he said. “I just keep working hard (at Mason) and focused on my dream.”

The Mason product throws a fastball in the mid-90s. He has learned a lot from former major league pitcher Aaron Laffey, who went to the same high school. Laffey pitched in the minors for the Nationals in 2014 and 2016 at Triple-A Syracuse. Laffey retired on Wednesday after pitching Triple-A Las Vegas in the Mets system.

“He has been a really good mentor for me,” Nightengale said.

Another George Mason pitcher who was drafted is Zach Mort, taken in the eighth round by the Chicago Cubs. He is from Chesterfield, Virginia and went to Cosby High School.

He was the second-highest pick in Mason school history. Catcher Chris Widger was taken in the third round in 1992 by Seattle and eventually played in the majors.

Mort was 6-3 this past season with an ERA of 2.48. He led the Atlantic 10 in innings at 105.1 and complete games with three. The Cubs this week also took University of Virginia pitcher Derek Casey in the ninth round.

George Washington had three players taken this week: Isaiah Pasteur in the 13th round by the Yankees; Will Kobos in the 19th round by the Pirates; and Robbie Metz in the 25th round by Colorado. It was the most picks at the school since six players were taken in 2002. Pasteur was the Atlantic 10 player of the year and is from Westminster, Maryland.

Gregg Ritchie, a former GW standout and the one-time hitting coach of the Pirates, is the head coach for the Colonials.

Other local picks included University of Maryland outfielder Marty Costes, who was taken in the 22nd round by world champion Houston and right-handed pitcher Colin Morse, taken by the Nationals in the 26th round out of Division III Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. Morse’s brother, Phil, is with Hagerstown in the Nationals minor league system as a pitcher.