FORT WORTH, Texas – Gonzaga Baseball left-handed pitcher Liam Paddack is now the latest Zag to be drafted into the MLB after the Chicago White Sox selected him in the 18th round and the 529th overall pick in Tuesday's MLB Draft.
 
In his first season with Gonzaga after transferring from Spokane Falls Community College, Paddack led the team in numerous pitching categories in 2024, including strikeouts (77), innings pitched (65.0), starts (12), and opposing batting average (.235). Among the West Coast Conference ranks, Paddack's strikeout tally ranked sixth while his opposing batting average ranked seventh.
 
In back-to-back weekend starts against Santa Clara and San Francisco on Apr. 6 and 13, Paddack combined for 12.1 innings, allowing just two runs on seven hits while striking out 15 and earning two wins. His latter performance earned him WCC Pitcher of the Week, a strong seven-inning scoreless performance as part of back-to-back shoutouts by Zag pitching over the Dons to complete the series sweep.
 
Paddack is now the 54th player under Head Coach Mark Machtolf to be selected in the MLB Draft. In 2023, right-handed pitcher Owen Wild (Tampa Bay) and infielder Brian Kalmer (Chicago NL) were each selected.