TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana State junior pitcher Dakota Bacus was selected with the 288th overall pick in the ninth round of Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft by the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday. The MLB Draft continues until Wednesday evening and contains 40 rounds.

Bacus was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Newcomer of the Year and a First Team All-MVC selection this past season, going 7-4 with a 2.70 ERA. The ISU junior set the school record for innings pitched in a single season, tossing 116.2 innings on the mound with 89 strikeouts and a .240 batting average against.

The Moline, Ill., and Southeastern Community College transfer led Indiana State to their first outright regular season conference championship this season, tossing a complete game against Missouri State on Thursday, May 17. Bacus threw three complete games over the 2012 season, including shutouts against Western Illinois (Feb. 24) and Evansville (March 23). Against the Purple Aces on March 23, Bacus struck out a season-high 13 batters.

In head coach Rick Heller's three seasons with Indiana State, Bacus marks the fifth player selected in the MLB Draft. Jacob Petricka (2nd round, 63rd overall - Chicago White Sox) and Ryan Strausborger (16th round, 496th overall - Texas Rangers) were both picked in 2010 with Colin Rea (12th round, 383rd overall - San Diego Padres) and Blake Drake (22nd round, 681st overall) going last season.

Under the terms of Major League Baseball's new collective bargaining agreement, professional clubs must sign a drafted player by July 13, or the rights to that player are lost and may re-enter the draft in 2013.