Indiana pitchers senior Jackson Bergman and freshman signee Gavin Swartz heard their names called at this year's Major League Baseball draft in Philadelphia, following the conclusion of the 20-round event.
Swartz, an 18-year-old from Normal Community High School in Normal, Illinois, starred as a two-way player, dominating on the mound and at the plate. Despite Indiana signed him as a pitcher in its 2026 class, the Colorado Rockies made him the 11th-round pick in this year's MLB Draft, selecting Swartz with the 314th pick.
The right-hand pitcher features a mid-90s fastball, a sharp curveball, slider and changeup to keep hitters off balance. Swartz’s also offers a projectable frame to grow into, standing at 6-foot-3 with a promising future.
In his two seasons at Normal Community High School, Swartz posted a 2.19 ERA with 12 wins, striking out 147 batters across 105.2 innings. Batters only averaged.189 against Swartz in the two seasons, which dropped to .159 in his senior season.
Seven rounds later, another Hoosier heard his name called. The Chicago White Sox selected Indiana right-hander Jackson Bergman in the 18th round with the No. 525 overall pick.
Bergman transferred to Indiana from the University of Toledo after three seasons with the Rockets and entered the 2026 campaign expected to anchor the Hoosiers' weekend rotation. The 6-foot-6 righty brought a mid-90s fastball, a projectable frame and 132.2 collegiate innings of experience to Bloomington, earning recognition as one of the Big Ten's preseason Players to Watch.
His season, however, was cut short after just three starts when he suffered a season-ending elbow injury in March. Bergman finished the year with a 4.50 ERA over 14 innings, striking out nine batters while posting a 1-1 record.
Players selected in the MLB Draft are not required to sign with the organization that drafts them. As a high school draftee, Swartz can either begin his professional career with the Rockies or honor his commitment to Indiana.
Bergman also faces a decision after recovering his season-ending elbow injury. The senior is expected to seek a medical hardship waiver, which would grant him another season of eligibility, allowing him to either return to Bloomington to rebuild his draft stock or sign with the White Sox and begin his professional career.
Following the draft, Indiana’s closer from the past season graduate student right-hander Gavin Seebold signed a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. Seebold finished his career with a 5.75 ERA after posting a 4.67 ERA in his final season.
MLB teams and drafted players have until 5 p.m. on July 27 to agree to a contract. If the player does not sign by this deadline, they lose the right to sign with that team and re-enter the draft pool in a future year.
With the selections, Indiana has now featured at least one player selected in every MLB draft since 2007, excluding the draft shortened by the pandemic in 2020.
Follow reporters Elakai Anela (@elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) and Will Kwiatkowski (@WKwiatkowski_15 and wdkwiatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana baseball offseason.
