James Madison outfielder Chase DeLauter was selected in the first round of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft Sunday night as he was taken 16th overall by the Cleveland Guardians.
DeLauter is the highest drafted player in JMU baseball history and this is the highest a James Madison student-athlete has been drafted in any of the four major professional sports in North America (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL).
The Martinsburg, West Virginia played and started in 66 games over three seasons with the Dukes. He leaves as the program’s all-time leader in on-base percentage (.520), second in batting average (.402) and third in slugging percentage (.715). Over his career, he collected 103 hits including four triples, 15 home runs and 27 doubles. He knocked in 70 runs and scored 71 himself, as he also stole 24 bases and drew 62 walks. He reached base safely in 62 of the 66 games he played in and of the 65 games that he recorded an official at bat in, he recorded a hit in 55 of them.
DeLauter played in just 24 games this past season due to injury, but he finished with a .437 batting average, eight home runs, 35 RBI, 31 runs eight doubles, 28 walks and 10 stolen bases.
