The St. Louis Cardinals selected right-handed flamethrower Alex Breckheimer with the 480th pick in the 16th round of the MLB Draft on Monday.

Breckheimer,a 6-foot-5, 270-pound junior from Chilton, Wisconsin, spent one season with the Jayhawks after transferring from Bryant & Stratton College in 2024. 

In his lone campaign with Kansas, he made 33 appearances, all of which came in relief and was primarily used as the team’s closer. During his junior season, he accumulated a 3.56 ERA, striking out 50 batters and walking just 14. 

He collected seven saves for the Jayhawks and finished the season 5-0 on the mound, with his most important win coming on May 22 in a 7-6 win against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament. 

Breckheimer was the second Jayhawk selected in this year’s draft, joining Brady Counsell, who was picked by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 10th round of the draft. 

With some eligibility remaining, Breckheimer could have the option to return to Kansas and play another season of collegiate baseball.

This article was edited by multimedia editor Val Montanez. Contact her valmon@ku.edu for feedback or errors.Â