Sam Brodersen drafted by St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals added to their pitching depth with the selection of Louisiana Tech senior Sam Brodersen in the 15th round (441st pick) in the 2024 MLB Draft on Tuesday.

Brodersen and Cole McConnell (10th round, Chicago White Sox) were the only Bulldogs taken in the draft, with fellow seniors Ethan Bates, Jorge Corona, and Dalton Davis now looking to sign undrafted free agent deals.

“It was an absolute dream come true,” Brodersen told the Leader after his selection. “My initial reaction was relief. It had been an extremely stressful couple of days so I was relieved it worked out and I could finally breathe. Once it started to settle in, I was excited and grateful for the opportunity to share this special moment with my family.”

LA Tech has now had a pitcher selected in three straight drafts, the longest streak since 2015-17. Brodersen is also the first Bulldog drafted by the Cardinals since Lee Gwaltney in 2001.

Brodersen led Tech with 96 strikeouts in 2024 in just 56 innings, the most punchouts by a Bulldog since Matt Miller (99) in 2019.

For context, Ryan Jennings, a fourth-round pick from Louisiana Tech in 2022, put up 95 strikeouts in 90 1/3 innings.

In his first season of Division I baseball, Brodersen earned First Team All-Conference USA and Second Team All-Louisiana honors with a 3.05 ERA and an opponent batting average of .160.

He held a 2.01 ERA in CUSA play as well with 36 strikeouts in just 22 1/3 innings.

“The Cardinals are a super exciting team for me. They valued my pitch characteristics and I know they will give me the chance to move fast,” Brodersen said. “We had briefly talked leading up to the draft but nothing too in depth. Couldn't be happier to get started.”