STOCKTON, CALIF. - Pacific's Tyler Sullivan and Brett Sullivan were selected early on day three of the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft as Tyler was taken in the 14th round by the Chicago White Sox and Brett was taken in the 17th round by the Tampa Bay Rays.
The brothers from Stockton become the 64th and 65th Pacific Tigers selected in baseball's annual draft since 1967.
The White Sox selected the elder of the two, Tyler, the Tigers' center fielder with the 412th overall pick. The Rays chose Brett with the 508th overall pick.
Tyler Sullivan was a stalwart in the leadoff spot yet again for the Tigers in 2015, hitting a team leading .351 with 16 extra base hits and 19 RBI. He also displayed speed in his senior season, swiping 11 bags in 16 tries. Sullivan earned All-WCC second team honors after the campaign, as he came up with team highs in hits (74) and runs (35).
In conference play, the senior finished the year batting .322 as he came up with 38 hits and 17 runs scored at the top of the order. Against WCC foes, Sullivan produced 13 multi-hit contests including a four-hit night against LMU's ace, Colin Welmon, on April 17 in Los Angeles.
In addition to his offensive prowess, Sullivan proved himself to be the best defensive center fielder in the conference and possibly in the country as he consistently made the impossible look routine while patrolling nearly two thirds of the outfield grass.
In four years at Pacific, Tyler hit .304 in 199 games, and was fourth on the Tigers' all-time list in games started (188), hits (224), fifth in runs scored (130), 10th in triples (9), 12th in sacrifices (15), 13th in doubles (34), and 18th in walks (76).
In summer ball play in 2014, Tyler was the top position player in the Northwoods League, finishing the season batting .356 with 103 hits and 70 runs scores, stealing 39 bases for the Mankato Moondogs.
Brett Sullivan, the younger brother of Tyler, hit .275 in 47 games for the Tigers in 2015. He took home the team lead in RBI with 28 to go with a team-leading seven homers. His 53 hits was second to Tyler on the Pacific squad.
Prior to the season, Brett played for the Bourne Braves in the prestigious Cape Cod League in the summer of 2014. He finished the Cape Cod season batting .281 with 17 RBI on 41 hits. He posted 12 extra-base hits that included eight doubles, three triples, and one home run.
In a stellar sophomore campaign at Pacific, Sullivan earned ABCA All-West Region honors as well as All-WCC First Team designation. He posted a .357 average over 53 games. He ended the season tied for first on the team with 40 RBI while scoring 36 runs.
His 74 hits on the season ranked tied for the 14th most in Pacific program history. In conference play, Sullivan posted a .336 average while driving in a team-best 25 RBI on 37 hits including 17 extra-base hits.
In 2014, Sullivan was the only player in the conference to earn WCC Rawlings Baseball Player of the Week honors twice in 2014 as he garnered the first award of the season on Feb. 17 and again on Mar. 23 after hitting for the first cycle in Pacific program history against Gonzaga.
In three years at Pacific Brett has hit .291 in 153 games. He ranks in the Pacific career top 20 in hits (20th, 175), doubles (10th, 37), triples (2nd, 13th), home runs (13, 17th), runs batted in (96, 13th), and total bases (277, 12th).
The Major League Baseball Draft Continues Wednesday, with more Tigers on the draft board. Pacific's record for most players taken in a single draft was five, in 2010 and 2001.
