Wingate, N.C.----Future Wingate University pitcher Ethan Icard (Connelly Springs, N.C./East Burke HS/Wilkes CC) was drafted this week in the 13th round of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft by the Chicago White Sox. Icard was the 398th player selected in the draft. A total of 1,525 players were selected in this year’s draft.

“The Wingate University baseball family would like to congratulate Ethan on this tremendous honor,” Wingate head coach Allen Osborne says. “This is a tribute to Ethan and his athletic ability. He had a very successful career at Wilkes Community College.”

“I would like to congratulate (assistant coaches) Jeff Gregory and Ben Hall,” Osborne adds. “They are recruiting student-athletes with professional potential.”

A 6-2 right-hander, Icard played for head coach Seth Graham at WCC. In 2010, Icard was 8-4 overall with a 4.14 ERA. In 87 innings, he struck out 93 batters. In 2009, Icard posted a 9-3 overall pitching record with a 3.40 ERA. He had 68 strikeouts in 79 innings pitched.

Icard helped Wilkes win the 2009 conference regular season championship. He is not a stranger to the draft; the Atlanta Braves drafted Icard in the 25th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft with the 748th pick. At the time, he was the first WCC player to be drafted. Ethan Icard is the son of Jeff and Leigh Ann Icard.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,159 students offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, world travel, career discovery and community service.

Wingate offers 34 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, communication, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration. In addition, the school awards the doctor of pharmacy and the doctor of education degrees.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past four years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 36 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 45 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.

(Special thanks to Wingate University Director of Baseball Operations Nick Roy for providing background information for this article.)