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Oles' Schmiesing drafted by Twins

By Tom Vogel
June 14, 2007

The Minnesota Twins have selected St. Olaf outfielder Andrew Schmiesing '08 in the 11th round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Last Friday it was announced that Schmiesing was the 362nd pick overall and the first Minnesotan taken in the 50-round draft.

Andrew Schmiesing
This season Schmiesing led the Oles in average (.446), hits (66), homeruns (7), doubles (18), triples (6), slugging percentage (.791) and walks (28).


"We're thrilled he's going to the Twins," St. Olaf Head Coach Matt McDonald '89 says. "From a character perspective, Andrew is a Minnesota Twins type of person."

McDonald remembers Schmiesing as a great player out of high school, who just wasn't very big when he came to St. Olaf. "He refined his skills once he got here and he kept growing," he says. "He got bigger and stronger, which was a key in being selected in the draft."

That, says McDonald, combined with being completely unselfish and doing anything to help his team win.

"His attitude makes him a unique baseball player at any level," McDonald says. "There's a saying about Andrew: 'He was the guy who carried the bats.' He's the kind of character who the Twins like to draft."

Schmiesing, a native of Stillwater, Minn., is the first St. Olaf player since 2003 to get taken in the event, and the highest in school history. Lefty pitcher Colin Brackeen '01 was a 14th-round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997.

A two-time All-MIAC and first team All-Region selection, Schmiesing was a second-team ABCA/Rawlings All-America pick this spring. He led St. Olaf in average (.446), hits (66), homeruns (7), doubles (18), triples (6), slugging percentage (.791) and walks (28). He has 173 career hits -- good for fourth all-time -- and has started every game (102) since coming to St. Olaf in 2004-05.

This year Schmiesing helped lead the Oles to a banner year, which included a share of the MIAC title, 5 St. Olaf players -- including Schmiesing -- named to the MIAC All-Conference team and MIAC coach of the year award for McDonald. Schmiesing received further attention in May when he was named to the D3baseball.com All-America Baseball Second Team.

In addition to his big league baseball prospects, Schmiesing also is a standout receiver on the Ole football team and an exceptional student majoring in chemistry.

-- With contributions by Assistant Athletic Director Mike Ludwig '03, sports information director.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.