Two Rochester kids selected in MLB draft

ROCHESTER, NY (WHEC) – Two Rochester natives and former Section V baseball stars were selected in the 4th round of the 2024 MLB draft on Monday.

Gage Ziehl, RHP – 119th pick, New York Yankees

Ziehl, a right-handed starter who was originally drafted by the Cubs in 2021, spent the last three years with U. Miami. This past season, he led the team in wins (8), strikeouts (100), and IP (92). One of his starts included a 15 strikeout performance against Clemson.

With Penfield High, Ziehl was a 2021 Gatorade Player of the Year after finishing 5-0, with a 0.17 ERA, 91 strikeouts, and 42 innings pitched. The Patriots went on to win the Class AA Section Championship. He finished his high school career with 0.88 ERA, 202 strikeouts over 120 innings pitched.

Casey Saucke, OF – 107th pick, Chicago White Sox

Saucke, a right-fielder, played at Virginia the last three years and finished tied for 8th in program history in RBI (159) and doubles (50). This past season, he registered career-highs in five different categories including HR (14).

Before that, Saucke posted a .483 avg, 8 HR, 24 RBI, and 20 stolen bases with Greece Athena in 2021. He’d go on to win Gatorade Player of the Year and Section V Class A Player of the Year. The Trojans wound up making the Class A State Championship game.