Zach Muckenhirn set to become first players from University of North Dakota to reach majors
DETROIT— Zach Muckenhirn is about to become the first player drafted out of the University of North Dakota to ever reach the Major Leagues. “I’ m already an artifact,” Muckenhirn told the Daily News in the spring. The school has always been known for its powerhouse hockey program but Muckenhirn saw a talented class of baseball recruits and trusted the vision and...
DETROIT — Zach Muckenhirn is about to become the first player drafted out of the University of North Dakota to ever reach the Major Leagues.
And quite possibly the last.
“I’m already an artifact,” Muckenhirn told the Daily News in the spring.
The Mets selected the left-hander’s contract Monday afternoon. With Brooks Raley on the injured list, it opened up a spot for Muckenhirn, who posted 0.77 ERA in Triple-A Syracuse to start the season.
A Minnesota native, Muckenhirn had only one Division I offer coming out of high school: North Dakota. The school has always been known for its powerhouse hockey program but Muckenhirn saw a talented class of baseball recruits and trusted the vision and coaching of head coach Jeff Dodson, who loaded the schedule with tough competition to be able to give his players more exposure than they would get in Grand Forks.
But the program was cut shortly after Muckenhirn was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. Few knew the program in Grand Forks, North Dakota, was in trouble during the 2016 season, which was when Muckenhirn first jumped on the scouting radar. A junior, Muckenhirn was having his best season. He was the team’s Friday night starter and his first start of the season against nationally-ranked USC in Los Angeles opened some eyes to what he could do.
“It really came down to one game that I pitched,” Muckenhirn said. “It was the opening weekend of my junior season. I threw a complete game shutout against USC. Without being too dramatic, it changed my life a little bit because yeah, that’s when I think it became a possibility. And even later on in the season, I had other good games, but admittedly, the scouts would always say, ‘Yeah, you know, we heard about your game at USC.’”
It was an impressive performance against a top team in a top area for college baseball.
“He had prepared mentally and physically to be ready to throw around 100 pitches in that game,” Dodson told The News in a phone interview. “He went out and he was throwing four pitches for strikes and just really kept them off balance. He was stronger at the end of the game than he was in the beginning.”
While Muckenhirn’s trajectory began to rise, the future of the program was in question. Dodson got word from another athletic department staffer that the administration was considering the elimination of the program that same season. When he finally received the news, he was “blindsided,” but by then he had already thought about what would come next for all of the students on the roster.
“I don’t think it was something that we hadn’t really thought about,” Dodson said. “It’s always talked about with Northern schools. But until you get it, there’s no planning for it, basically. And then, we really started to go in scramble mode there to try to find these kids places to play.”
Dodson’s plan to play tough schools had worked well. Word had gotten out about Muckenhirn by then and he started looking into transferring to another DI program. He had narrowed his list down to SEC schools with thought of potentially going pro. He could transfer anywhere with no penalty, but the process of finishing the season and exploring opportunities at other programs became taxing.
“I would be pitching on Friday, I’d get on a plane that night, go to another university, fly back to wherever the team was on Sunday, and then fly home with my team,” Muckenhirn said.
Eventually, he decided to test his prospects in the draft. He signed with the Orioles instead of transferring.
Muckenhirn improved his prospects by playing winter ball in the Caribbean Series. He throws a four-seam fastball in the low-to-mid 90s and a changeup. He saw good results in spring training, leaving with the validation that his stuff can play at the big league level.
Making it to the big leagues and staying there are two different things, but that fact that he’s made it has already meant a lot to people in Grand Forks.
“Vindication would be one word to describe it,” Dodson said. “Great for him and his family, his wife Courtney, and — my goodness — for every player who has ever worn a uniform here.”
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