Wins and losses are the most overrated pitching statistic, but they do not go unnoticed.

Junior right-handed pitcher Sam Coonrod is one of the best pitchers on the Saluki staff, but has not gotten a win credited to his name this season. He has not been pitching poorly by any means; he just does not get the run support he needs.

Part of the reason the offense does not do as well when Coonrod pitches is because he is the ace. The hitters are facing the best pitchers of other teams.

Coonrod said he doesn’t care if he gets the win; he just wants his team to win.

It’s not irregular for starters to be cheated from wins. Through six starts this year, Chicago Cubs right-handed pitcher Jeff Samardzija is in the top ten of the National League in ERA at 1.98, but does not have any wins.

In the past decade, Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners is the only Cy Young Award winner who had less than 15 wins.

Coonrod’s record could be a problem for him in the MLB draft this season. He was named in the top 100 juniors before the season started, he said he plans on signing if he gets drafted high enough.

Perfectgame.org has Coonrod projected to go somewhere between the first compensation round and the third round. He has the qualities to be drafted in the top ten rounds, but teams could potentially pass on him early because of his record.

His collegiate numbers are slightly worse than left-handed pitcher Cody Forsythe, who was the only Saluki drafted in 2013. The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Forsythe in the 25th round, but Coonrod has better mechanics.

In Coonrod’s most recent start, he debatably outpitched the University of Evansville’s junior left-handed pitcher Kyle Freeland. Freeland is projected to go anywhere in the first or second rounds.

Coonrod also kept the Salukis in a game earlier this season against Indiana State University. He pitched eight scoreless innings against the Sycamores. The Salukis were hitless against junior left-handed pitcher David Stagg through nine innings. The game went to extra innings, where the Salukis pulled out a 2-1 victory.

Coonrod leads the Saluki weekend starters in ERA, strikeouts and opposing batting average. Every professional team should want him on its roster. He does his job and is a team player.

He has two more regular season starts to try to get his first win and boost his draft stock.

Coonrod has only one more year of eligibility if he does decide to stay; it goes without saying he would be a big loss.

The rotation could lose its top two arms. Senior pitcher Todd Eaton also has the potential to get drafted, but doesn’t have any NCAA eligibility left.

There are plenty of pitchers that could fill in for the two of them though. Freshmen Austin McPheron and Kyle Pauly should be in the rotation next year. McPheron has already become the midweek starter after excelling in the bullpen.

If both Coonrod and Eaton depart for the draft, McPheron will easily be a weekend starter next year.

This year, Pauly leads the bullpen in ERA and strikeouts. He has proven he can start to fill in the void in his long relief appearances.

Coonrod said he does not care which team drafts him, but he wants to get picked as high as possible.