Ethan Sloan selected by Detroit Tigers in 8th round of 2024 MLB Draft

Jul 15 | By: David Wilson

DENVER, Colo. — Ever since his first day on campus back in 2020, Regis University graduate Ethan Sloan made it a point of emphasis, and held himself accountable, to ensuing he made the most out of his opportunity as a student-athlete.

The Aurora native, and four-year impact arm for the Regis baseball program (2021-24), saw his years of hard work and dedication come to fruition Monday when he was selected by the Detroit Tigers organization in the eighth round of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft.

"I heard the Seattle Mariners or Detroit Tigers might be interested in taking me, starting around Round 6, so I was a little anxious each time those teams were up to pick," said Sloan, recounting the moments leading up to his name being called. "Then I saw my name pop up on the draft ticker and Detroit called me just a couple minutes later to congratulate me. It caught me by surprise and it was kind of a surreal moment. Obviously, my parents were sort of losing it and it was a really cool experience."

Sloan went off the board to the Tigers as pick No. 236 overall, becoming the 14^th player in Regis University baseball program history to be drafted and the first since Steven Brault by the Baltimore Orioles in 2013. His selection in the eighth round is also the highest round a Ranger has been drafted, with Brault and Tim Karns (1993) each going in the 11^th round.

The road to being on MLB draft boards had humble beginnings for Sloan. He was a standout at Cherokee Trail High School, but stepped on the Regis Baseball Field as a freshman far more concerned about being a competitive collegiate player, let alone a big leaguer.

"I think most kids have that dream of being a professional athlete, whether that be baseball, football or whichever sport. And I had that dream growing up too until about high school, when I saw some of the talent around me, and that dream kind of shifted to making it to the college level," Sloan said. "I signed with Regis and my whole goal was I wanted to work so hard, and reach the very peak of my potential, that in four years' time I wouldn't have any regrets in retiring from baseball. But then things started to change a bit around my junior year."

Sloan had a solid first two seasons with the Rangers, going 5-1 overall in 2022 while averaging a respectable 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings, splitting time between the starting rotation and bullpen.

Armed with a low to mid-90's fastball and a wipe-out slider, Sloan found his home in the backend of the Rangers' bullpen in 2023 as he finished with a 5-4 record and four saves, while also seeing his strikeout numbers skyrocket to 62 punch outs in 39.1 innings.

With his childhood dream taking shape as a realistic possibility, Sloan firmly put himself on scouts' radars, literally and figuratively, in the fall of 2023-24 when his fastball was clocked at 97 MPH during a bullpen session.

"After I topped out at 97, two weeks later I was on a phone call with the Texas Rangers," Sloan said. "That moment really solidified to me that, 'Yeah, I can do this if I continue to put in the work and have a really good, consistent senior season.'"

He would do just that as Sloan saved his best collegiate season for last, posting a 4-2 record, a RMAC leading nine saves, and a career-best 3.96 earned run average across 36.1 innings this past spring. The southpaw limited opponents in the high altitude of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) to a lowly .246 batting average. He also set a career-high with an absurd 14.37 strikeouts per nine innings en route to earning First Team All-RMAC and First Team All-Region honors.

"I think Ethan's development during his collegiate career speaks to his character and work ethic. Having been able to coach him the last two years, the one thing that always stood out was his desire day-in and day-out to continue to get better. He was a perfect fit here," said Regis head baseball coach, Pat Jolley. "His velocity really saw an uptick his junior year, which obviously helped him, but he compliments it with a really good slider that has depth to it. And then I think the difference he was able to add this spring was commanding his fastball to both sides of the plate. That made him very tough to hit when the ball is coming 93-95 miles per hour and coming from a fairly unique arm slot."

Sloan's impact on the diamond went beyond his strikeout numbers. As a senior leader for an up-and-coming Rangers team, he he also helped Regis (32-24-1 overall) to the program's first NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament appearance since 2012.

Away from the field, Sloan was named a 2024 RMAC First Team All-Academic winner and graduated from Regis this past May with a 3.61 GPA as an Accounting major. He also graduates as the school record holder in single-season (14.37 K/9) and career (11.77 K/9) strikeouts per nine innings.

"I think Detroit is getting a kid that has a desire to be very good and has a track record of having swing-and-miss stuff, which has become a very valued part of the pro game," Jolley said. "Ethan is also a guy who, no matter what the score is, you can always count on to go out and compete."

When and where Sloan will throw his next pitch will be ironed out later this week. But much like his collegiate career, the next stop will be just the first rung on a new ladder the Regis graduate is eager to climb.

"I'll be getting more information on what the next steps are and where I'm heading later this week. But where I'm at mentally right now is; this (being drafted) isn't a destination, it's the beginning of another journey," Sloan said. "It means there is more work to do. There will be more successes and more struggles that come along. And to be honest, I invite it, because I love having this opportunity and I'm very grateful to have this opportunity."

Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Related Stories