FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Gavin Wallace might not have been completely surprised to hear his name called in the 2017 Major League Baseball draft. After all, the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) Pitcher of the Year knew that some team would give him a chance to follow his dream of being a professional baseball player. But, the way that it happened is what made the moment indescribable for the Fairfield junior. Wallace was selected in the 15th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates, the same team that drafted and signed his older brother Mike Wallace two years ago.

“It's a surreal feeling,” Wallace said. “I didn't believe it at first but now it's setting in and it's everything that I ever dreamed of.”

With the pick, Wallace became the 14th Stag to be selected in the MLB Draft and the highest selection since Keefe Cato was chosen in the second round in 1979.

Wallace enjoyed one of the most dominating seasons on the mound in Fairfield history, tying his own single season record with eight victories and setting the yearly standard with four shutouts. The Fairfield University Male Athlete of the Year finished the season tied for the national lead with seven complete games and became the first Stag in program history to win a major award in the NEIBA.

If he chooses to sign, Wallace will join his older brother Mike in the Pirates system, a farm system ranked sixth in MLB by Baseball America. Mike Wallace has been in the Pirates' system for two years and currently suits up for the West Virginia Power, a Class A affiliate in the South Atlantic League.

“It's the best situation possible,” Wallace said. “To be able to play with Mike in the pros is something that I've always dreamed of. To make it a reality is simply indescribable.”