ELLIS SELECTED BY OAKLAND A'S
TORIA, ILL - (June 05, 2000) Bradley University junior pitcher Steve Ellis (Elsah, Ill./Principia School) was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 12th round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft this afternoon. The 360th overall pick in the first day of the annual draft of eligible high school and college players, Ellis was the only Bradley player selected Monday.

A 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-hander, Ellis had a breakout year for the Braves during the 2000 season. After posting just a 1-3 record with a 9.92 earned run average during his first two years on the Hilltop, Ellis earned second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors this spring by leading the Braves with a 3.27 earned run average and 83 strikeouts in his 74 1/3 innings. Ellis, who had come out of the bullpen in 14 of his 19 appearances in 1998 and 1999, started in 10 of his 13 games during the 2000 season and finished with a 5-2 record with three complete games and two shutouts.

Ellis tossed back-to-back, nine-inning shutouts March 18 versus Evansville and March 25 versus Indiana State, then ran his consecutive scoreless innings streak in Valley games to 21 2/3 before finally surrendering a run April 8 versus Southwest Missouri State. Ellis gave up only two hits in the first shutout, but did not earn Valley Pitcher-of-the-Week honors until his four-hit blanking the next weekend against Indiana State. He combined for 20 strikeouts and only one walk in the consecutive starts. Ellis did not allow more than six runs in any appearance this spring and his only loss as a starter came in his final outing, May 13 at Wichita State when he gave up four runs on five hits in six innings of an eventual 4-0 loss to the nationally-ranked Shockers. As a junior, Ellis has the option of signing with Oakland or returning to Bradley for his senior season.