Nationals select RHP Erick Fedde 18th overall in First-Year Player Draft

The Washington Nationals today selected collegiate right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde (University of Nevada-Las Vegas) with the 18th-overall pick in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo and Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Scouting Operations Kris Kline made the joint announcement. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound junior is regarded as one of the top collegiate arms in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft. A native of Las Vegas, Nev., Fedde went 8-2 with a 1.76 ERA (15 ER/76.2 IP) and 82 strikeouts in 11 starts for the Rebels this season. He was named the 2014 Mountain West Pitcher of the Year and to the All-Mountain West First Team after going 6-1 with league-leading 1.60 ERA (10 ER/56.1 IP) in eight starts in conference play. For his efforts during the '14 campaign, Fedde was named a Louisville Slugger Second-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and named to the midseason Golden Spikes Award watch list. The 21-year old entered the 2014 season rated as the No.12 pitching prospect and the No. 17 overall prospect in collegiate baseball, according to Baseball America. As a sophomore in 2013, Fedde went 7-3 with a 3.92 ERA (42 ER/96.1 IP) in 15 starts. He led the UNLV staff and ranked fourth in the Mountain West with 83 strikeouts, and was named to the Spring Academic All-Mountain West team. Following the season, he was 3-1 with a 2.34 ERA for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod League. He left the league after tossing a league-best 30.2 innings and recording 26 strikeouts, third-most in the league. Fedde joined the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team later in the summer. Fedde became UNLV's Friday night starter as a freshman and would go on to pace the staff in innings pitched (90.1), strikeouts (66), games started (15) and wins (6). For his efforts, he was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team and a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. He underwent "Tommy John" ligament replacement surgery on June 3, 2014 Fedde is a graduate of Las Vegas High School where played alongside Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper. He was also an all-state soccer player and helped lead LVHS to a soccer state championship in 2009. He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 24th round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.