LA Dodgers Take Oak Forest Alum Kyle Funkhouser in First Round of MLB Draft

The Los Angeles Dodgers have added to their roster a name familiar to Oak Forest residents. Oak Forest High School alum and University of Louisville right-handed pitcher Kyle Funkhouser was selected Monday as the 35th pick in the first round of the MLB draft.

He became the highest draft pick in the University of Louisville baseball program’s history.

The pick was a supplemental one between the first and second round, granted to the Dodgers when free agent Hanley Ramirez signed with the Red Sox during the winter, reports Truebluela.com.

In his junior year at U of L, he was 8-5 with a 3.20 ERA in 17 starts in 2015, with 104 strikeouts and 45 walks in 112⅓ innings. He allowed two runs in seven innings on Saturday against Cal State Fullerton in the first game of their super regional matchup, fighting for one of eight berths in the College World Series in Omaha.

The signing bonus, as recommended by Major League Baseball, is set at $1.756 million.