June 8, 2007

Chicago, Ill.- UIC junior righthander Ryan Zink (Madison, Wis./La Follette H.S.) was selected by the New York Yankees in the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Friday.

The Bronx Bombers took Zink in the 17th round with the 544th overall pick.

Zink went 7-3 in 2007, his first season back on the mound after undergoing Tommy John surgery to his right elbow last year. He posted a 4.42 earned run average in 70 innings of work that spanned 13 starts.

He saved his best for last, tossing 15 consecutive innings without an earned run in his last two starts.

Zink blanked Wright State in the Horizon League Baseball Championship on May 25th, striking out five while allowing just five hits in seven innings.

On June 1st Zink turned in the best pitching performance in UIC history at the NCAA Long Beach Regional, one-hitting 16th-ranked and top-seeded Long Beach State for eight innings and striking out five Dirtbags in the Flames' 4-1 victory and first-ever NCAA Regional win.

In three years at UIC Zink has a record of 24-12 with six saves and a career ERA of 3.33. He is the last UIC pitcher to throw a no-hitter, accomplishing the feat as a freshman against Youngstown State on May 16, 2004.

Zink just began his second stint with the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League collegiate baseball summer team this week after returning from Long Beach with the Flames.