June 5, 2001
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Senior righthander Aaron Heilman (Logansport, Ind.) became the third Notre Dame baseball player ever drafted in the first round, when the New York Mets selected him Tuesday with the 18th overall selection in the 2001 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft.
Heilman improved his draft position by 13 spots after the Minnesota Twins selected him with a first-/second-round “sandwich” (or supplemental) pick following the 2000 season. Heilman also was drafted in the 54th round by the New York Yankees following his senior year of high school.
Heilman joins Pat Pesavento as the only Irish players to be drafted three times. This marks the second time the Mets have taken a Notre Dame player in the draft-they selected Frank Jacobs in the seventh round of the 1991 draft
Heilman finished his Irish career as the school’s all-time leader in career wins (43-7), strikeouts (425) and innings pitched (393.2) and is one of 15 all-time Division I players to reach 40 wins and 400 Ks in his career. He ranks second at Notre Dame in career saves (12) and is tied for second in career ERA (2.49). Heilman also set single-season records for wins (15 in 2001) and complete games (12 in 2001) and owns the top-three single-season strikeout totals in Notre Dame history (118 in 1999 and 2000, 111 in 2001).
His final season with the Irish included a 1.74 ERA (sixth-best in the nation), 111 strikeouts and just 31 walks in 114 innings pitched, with a .173 opponent batting average. He was the nation’s only undefeated pitcher with 13-plus victories in 2001.
Senior righthander Danny Tamayo (Miami, Fla.) was chosen by the Kansas City Royals in the 10th round with the 295th overall selection. Tamayo and Heilman are the 10th and 11th Irish players taken in the first 10 rounds of the draft in the seven-year tenure of Notre Dame head coach Paul Mainieri and this marks the fourth time in the Mainieri-era that Irish teammates have been selected in the first 10 rounds.
Tamayo, who was undrafted out of high school, went 8-3 this season for the Irish with a 2.72 ERA. He tossed three shutouts and was second on the team with 106 strikeouts in 112.2 innings pitched.
Senior shortstop Alec Porzel (Lisle, Ill.) rounded out the Notre Dame selections on the first day when the Boston Red Sox selected him in the 13th round (393rd selection). Porzel is the 68th draft pick in Irish history (a total of 52 players) and the 27th in the Mainieri-era.
Porzel, also a first-time draftee, hit .295 for the Irish in his senior season with eight home runs and 59 RBI. He tallied 28 doubles and scored 53 runs in 251 at-bats. Porzel finished his Notre Dame career as the school’s all-time leader in at-bats (897) and doubles (78). He is second in Irish history with 217 career RBI while his 279 career hits are third-best at the school. Porzel is the only player in Notre Dame history to reach 30 home runs (37) and 30 stolen bases (32) in his career.
The three-day draft continues on Wednesday and Thursday. Check back to www.und.com for further draft updates.