SEATTLE – With the 245th pick, junior pitcher Ixan Henderson has been drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the eighth round of the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft.
As an eighth-round selection, Henderson is the fourth-highest Bulldog selection made by the Cardinals, out of 15 total. He is also the first Diamond 'Dog left-handed pitcher to be selected by the Cardinals.
Henderson spent three years with the Bulldogs, earning All-Mountain West First Team honors in back-to-back seasons. In his tenure with the Diamond 'Dogs, the lefty spent a total of 202.1 innings on the mound, posting a 4.18 career ERA with 230 strikeouts and a 12-9 overall record.
In 2023, Henderson spent a team-leading 89 innings on the mound with 15 starts for Fresno State. He ended the season with a 3.74 ERA and led the Mountain West with 100 batters struck out.
Henderson was named Mountain West Pitcher of the Week on April 3, 2023, after pitching seven innings against nationally ranked UCSB, adding eight strikeouts and only three hits to his season total. After his performance in the 2023 Mountain West Championship tournament, he was named MW All-Tournament First Team.
The 2023 MLB Draft will conclude with rounds 11-20 on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, at 11 a.m. PT on MLB.com.
Fresno State Players Drafted by the Cardinals:
1978 - Curtis Reade, RHP, 2nd Round*
1982 - Terry Pendleton, OF, 7th Round
1993 - Marl Cruz, RHP, 45th Round
1994 - Tommy Minor, RHP, 38th Round
1995 - Joe Freitas, OF, 6th Round; Robert Donnelly, RHP, 66th Round
1997 - Derek Feramisco, OF, 13th Round
2002 - Bob Runyon, RHP, 12th Round
2004 - Brandon Marcelli, C, 30th Round; Chris Patrick, SS, 37th Round
2005 - Michael Cooper, RHP, 17th Round
2009 - Alan Ahmady, 1B, 11th Round
2018 - Edgar Gonzalez, RHP, 6th Round
2023 - Ixan Henderson, LHP, 8th Round
*Did not sign