Angels select Hawks right-handed reliever Gockel in ninth round of MLB draft

QUINCY — Word of Chase Gockel’s electric fastball, the kind that made Quincy University baseball fans anxious to see how high the velocity would register, brought Major League Baseball scouts to the stadium.

How he used the fastball in unison with his slider made them take note.

Ultimately, the Los Angeles Angels liked the combination better than anyone else.

Gockel, the right-handed reliever whose fastball routinely touched 97 and 98 mph, was selected by the Angels in the ninth round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Monday. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Gockel was selected 264th overall, making him the second highest drafted player in QU history.

Riley Martin, the All-American left-handed hurler now pitching for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, was selected in the sixth round in 2021 by the Chicago Cubs.

Gockel becomes the 13th QU product to be drafted since Dewey Kalmer became the first in 1966 when he was selected in the 18th round by the Washington Senators. Gockel is the fifth QU player to be drafted since 2016.

Gockel went 3-0 with four saves and a 2.25 ERA in 21 appearances out of the QU bullpen. He struck out 57 and walked 20 in 32 innings and allowed opponents to hit just .112 against him. A graduate student who transferred to QU from Illinois State University, Gockel earned first-team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honors as the Hawks set a single-season record for victories with their 47-11 season.

He agreed to a contract with the Angels late Monday afternoon and is expected to report to their rookie complex in Tempe, Ariz., next week.