Flag City Sluggers, Rylan Mills, has been drafted to the Milwaukee Brewers

TROY, Ohio - The Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League is proud to announce that six of its alumni players and one current player were selected in the 2025 MLB Draft.

The most interesting story may have been with the league’s final pick when Flag City Sluggers catcher Rylan Mills was selected in the 18th round by the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Mills is recent high school graduate and an incoming freshman commit to Southeast Missouri State University. The Oran High School graduate from Dexter, Missouri is the first ever GLSCL draft pick coming straight out of high school. Mills was selected to participate in the GLSCL Prospect Showcase ahead of the GLSCL All-Star Game at Prasco Park coming up on July 22.

The selection of Mills may have over shadowed the fact that the GLSCL can boast a player being selected during the first day of the day.

Aaron Walton, who played for the Grand Lake Mariners in 2023, was selected with the 66th overall pick by the Cleveland Guardians. The selection was the first of eight picks in the CB (Compensatory Balance) Round B just after the second round was completed. 

Walton came to Grand Lake in 2023 out of Samford University and was a GLSCL All-Star Game starter representing the Mariners. After two seasons at Samford, Walton transferred to the University of Arizona this past spring playing one standout season.

Walton played in 65 games posting a .320 batting average with 71 runs scored, 22 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs, 49 RBI, a 1.026 OPS, and 19 stolen bases. His 71 runs and 22 doubles both lead the Big 12 Conference in those categories. The Wildcats won 44 games advancing the College World Series for the first time since 2016. 

Walton is the highest GLSCL draft pick since former Lima Locos Colton Ledbetter was taken in the second round (55th pick) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023.

The next GLSCL player coming off the board was former Lima Locos pitcher Hunter Allen. Allen went in the seventh round to the Baltimore Orioles with he 214th selection. Allen appeared in just two games for the Locos in 2024 after joining the team in mid-July. Allen was a first-team All-GMAC selection and second-team All-Region for Ashland this past spring. Allen becomes the ninth Ashland University baseball draft pick and the third highest ever selection behind only Ken Kravec (third round, No. 69 overall in 1973) and Randy Fierbaugh (fifth round, No. 105 overall in 1974). 

Just six picks later (220) in the seventh round was the current Big 12 Conference Player of the Year Kerrington Cross from the University of Cincinnati. Cross was the 2021 Gary Henschen South Division Most Valuable Player in the GLSCL while playing for the Cincinnati Steam. Cross, who was selected by the San Diego Padres, was the first Bearcat All-American baseball player since current Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ in 2015. Cross led the Bearcats to its first at-large NCAA Tournament appearance in over 50 years.

D.J. Newman who played for the old Sandusky Bay Ice Haulers heard his name called in the 15th round when the Houston Astros took him with the 486th pick. Newman played for the Ice Haulers in 2023 and was selected as a participant for the Prospect Showcase. Newman, who is a two-way player, had his season cut short in 2025 after 25 games due to injury. After completing three seasons at Bowling Green State this past spring, Newman entered the transfer portal and had recently announced he was committed to play next season at the University of Tennessee.

Jacob Pruitt was taken just five picks later (461) in the 15th round by the Philadelphia Phillies. Pruitt made five very effective appearances for the Lima Locos during the 2023 season. Pruitt was 3-1 with an 0.46 ERA striking out 25 batters with only six walks in 19.1 innings of work. Pruiit was sent to the Locos from Indiana State after his freshman season where the Sycamores advanced the NCAA Super Regionals. After a coaching change at Indiana State, Pruitt transferred to Mississippi State for the 2025 season pitching 18.2 innings in nine appearances. He had just announced days before the draft the he had plans to transfer to University of Missouri for his final year of eligibility.

RJ Shunck was taken in the 16th round by the Miami Marlins out of the University of Toledo. Shunck made 12 appearances out of the bullpen in 2023 for the Sandusky Bay Ice Haluers. Shunck was a GLSCL all-star striking out two batters in his one inning of work. During the 2023 summer season for Sandusky Bay, Shunck went 1-0 with two saves pitching 18.2 innings with an 0.48 ERA and 27 strikeouts. 

In the weeks leading up to the draft, two additional recent GLSCL alumni players signed free agents contracts with MLB organizations. 

Sammy Sass, who played for the 2021 GLSCL Champion Hamilton Joes didn’t wait for the draft process to sign with the Chicago Cubs organization. Sass was assigned to the Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans after finished his collegiate career as a catcher at Wright State University.

Grif Hughes was a member of the 2023 GLSCL runner up Xenia Scouts. Hughes was signed out of independent ball by the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Hughes played parts of two seasons in the Frontier League with the Evansville Otters after his college career concluded at Carson-Newman University. Hughes is now with the Blue Jays rookie affiliate FCL Blue Jays.