Latest news with #Moroknek
Indianapolis Star
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
MLB Draft: Brebeuf grad, Butler OF Jack Moroknek selected by Washington Nationals
Butler outfielder Jack Moroknek knew he'd have a tough decision to make ahead of the 2025 MLB Draft, now the clock has officially started ticking. The Washington Nationals selected the Brebeuf Jesuit grad and Carmel native with the 321st pick (11th round) during Day 2 of the MLB Draft Monday. Welcome to the @Nationals, Jack!With the 321st pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the Nats select OF Jack Moroknek from Butler. Moroknek used a breakout redshirt junior campaign to catapult on MLB scout's radars. The lefty led the Bulldogs in hits (81), batting average (.372), total bases (153), RBIs (57), home runs (18), runs scored (57), slugging percentage (.702) and OPS (1.145). The 153 total bases set a school record, and he was a Second Team All-Big East selection. The 6-foot-3 outfielder projects as a corner outfielder with plus power at the next level. Moroknek also became a hot commodity in the transfer portal, choosing to transfer to powerhouse Texas in the SEC. He now has two weeks to negotiate a contract with the Nationals or honor his commitment to Texas. "It's hard going back and forth with these decisions because there's not a bad option," Moroknek said last week ahead of the draft. Last year's 321st pick, Jon Jon Gazdar, a shortstop out of Austin Peay signed for $250k. There are no slot value restrictions after the 10th round, so MLB teams are free to disburse bonus pool money however they'd like. Last year's 322nd pick, prep righty Trey Gregory-Alford signed with the Los Angeles Angels for a record $1.96 million.
Indianapolis Star
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Ahead of 2025 MLB draft, Brebeuf grad, Butler OF has options: Transfer to SEC or turn pro?
A breakout redshirt junior season has Brebeuf Jesuit grad and Butler outfielder Jack Moroknek weighing two tremendous options. The power-hitting outfielder's hard work rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and rapid improvement at the plate helped him get to this crossroads in his career. "It's hard going back and forth with these decisions because there's not a bad option," Moroknek said. "Texas is a Top-3 program in the country and the draft is obviously a lifelong dream of mine. But right now it's just been a lot of talks with my family and stuff, just figuring out what's best for me right now." Moroknek's future is bright, but there was a time when he contemplated whether continuing with baseball was the right choice. After a standout career at Brebeuf, Moroknek joined the Butler baseball team for the 2021 season. With limited opportunity for playing time, he decided to redshirt. During fall practice the following season, Moroknek was making a routine throw from the outfield into the infield when he felt a click in his throwing arm. The click led to a static electricity-like feeling running through his limb. An MRI showed a partial tear in his UCL. Instead of getting a repair and maybe coming back as a designated hitter in the spring, Moroknek opted for full reconstructive surgery (Tommy John), meaning he'd miss his second full season of baseball. "The rehab the first couple months is pretty rough. I was in a sling for probably two weeks and then a robotic arm brace for two more months," Moroknek said. "So, the small victories of every week getting to extend my arm 10 extra degrees as rehab progressed. But I fully got extension back four months, five months after and then I started hitting again. ... I definitely thought about quitting when I heard the news that I had to get Tommy John. I talked to my parents about it, and they were just like, you didn't come all this way to Butler just to quit before even playing an inning. "(Butler) coach (Blake) Beemer, he was the greatest person throughout my entire rehab process with Tommy John. He didn't miss a doctor's appointment; he didn't miss anything that was for my arm pretty much the whole way through. He was right by my side the entire time and he just kept instilling the confidence in me that you are going to be a starter for us next year, you are going to do a lot of great things for us." The work ethic Moroknek needed to grind through his rehab was something he showed while at Brébeuf. At 6-3, 185 pounds, Moroknek has the frame and long levers of a prototypical power hitter. He's gotten stronger since high school, but former Brebeuf coach Jeff Scott knew Moroknek had all the tools to be a slugger at the next level "In 2021 we played in the regional out in Danville. ... He hit four home runs on the day, one of them was probably the furthest I've ever seen," Scott said. "He's got a great frame and that swing possessed some power in high school, not quite the power he's shown at Butler, but the weight room has contributed to that power along with a good swing and a good frame." Beemer saw Moroknek's power potential early in his Bulldogs career. Watching Moroknek take batting practice with a weighted bat was a thing of beauty. Swinging a 38-to-40-ounce bat as a redshirt freshman, the lefty was the only one of his teammates strong enough to lift the ball over the fence. Moroknek injured his arm shortly after the prodigious display of power, but Beemer never lost faith in his slugger. "He is a worker. He's a guy that he will get after it, and you tend to bet on those guys," Beemer said of Moroknek. "I always told Jack, 'Hey, I'm going to bet on you. I'm going to bet on you every day that you are going to do the things that we need you to do and that you want to do for this program and beyond.' And he's just taken it in stride. "He was disappointed like anybody would be when you get a setback, but he turned it into motivation. He wanted to be better, and I saw the worker that he was and the teammate, and I just knew good things could come, and I'm just glad that he's getting the benefit from it." As a redshirt sophomore, Moroknek started 54 of 55 games slashing .327/.411/.588 with 14 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, 44 RBIs and four stolen bases. Looking to build on his strong first full season, Moroknek began his redshirt junior campaign red hot. He hit 10 home runs in his first 14 games, including six homers in his first seven games, homering four games in a row and three times against Lidenwood. Moroknek entered Big East play with 14 home runs, but conference teams were determined not to let him beat them. "Hitters talk about how the ball looks like a beach ball and it's true," Moroknek said. "Everything I hit just seemed to be a barrel. It looked like everything I hit was going to go over the fence at that point. "Then in the middle of the year I slumped a little bit, just a couple weeks. I just kind of got away from my approach. I was trying to do too much for the team because unfortunately we didn't have the best season. I was always looking for what can I do better or how can I help this team more? And I think I just kind of pushed for myself a little too hard to be the guy every single game." Film review and simplifying his approach helped get Moroknek back on track. He hit two home runs in his final game against St. John's finishing the season with 18 homers and a .372/.443/.702 slash line with 16 doubles, one triple, 57 RBIs and two stolen bases. Moroknek earned All-Big East second team honors, and his 153 total bases set a new Butler program record. Moroknek expects to hear his name called sometime during Day 2 of the draft. Going pro is his lifelong dream but playing at Texas and working with Longhorns hitting coach, five-time MLB All-Star Troy Tulowitzki would be an invaluable experience for his career. "It's hard to pass the opportunity to go and hit with Troy Tulowitzki every single day, but at the end of the day, it is a lifelong stream of mine to go and play professional baseball," Moroknek said. "So, when that call comes like, 'Hey, you're going here in the draft,' do I really want to do this? Because if I go to Texas, there's a chance I can develop even better and also win a College World Series championship. But it's probably going to be the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my life."
