Culture shock might be one factor that would weigh on the mind of someone moving from a small town such as Viola to major city such as Milwaukee.

However, that transition is one SIU junior pitcher Cody Adams hopes he’ll be making in the next few years.

Adams made history when the Milwaukee Brewers drafted him in the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft Thursday. Selected with pick 62, the Saluki right-hander became the highest-drafted SIU baseball player in head coach Dan Callahan’s 14 years at the university.

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“It’s going to be a nice pay day for Cody,” Callahan said. “I’m real proud and happy for him.”

Despite struggles in the first half of the season, Adams finished with a 6-4 record and an ERA of 3.75 in 2008. He also led the Salukis in strikeouts for the second year in a row with 78.

“I have no problem with the Brewers,” Adams said. “They’re actually one of the teams that I wanted to go to because their farm league, their coaching staff and the way they do things. I really liked.”

Adams still has a long way to go before he gets to put on a major league cap. First he’ll be sent to one of the three rookie league teams in the Brewers’ organization in West Virginia, Montana or Arizona. From there, it could be on to the Brewers’ Class A affiliate in Florida, the Brevard County Manatees.

“It’s different,” Adams said. “I have to start all over from scratch and work my way up. I’m really excited though to be picked up.”

Adams features a fastball that tops out in the mid-90s and a changeup that he said is his go-to pitch to get outs. However, hitters can hit fastballs in the 90s and adjust to changeups at the pro level. Callahan said Adams needs to work on his 2-seam fastball, keep improving his slider and continue to “learn how to pitch.”

“What made him so good was he learned the concept of how to pitch,” Callahan said. “He’s using both sides of the plate and changing speeds. He’s learning how to compete, not just throw.”

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It has been a long, strenuous process for Adams to get to this point in his career. For the last two seasons, squadrons of pro scouts armed with speed radar guns stalked Adams every time he took the mound.

“It got really old after a while and got really repetitive with all the phone calls and the meetings,” Adams said. “It was just part of the process though, and I just tried to get through it without it bothering me or the team.”

Adams’ battery mate, junior Mark Kelly was the only other legitimate draft hopeful from SIU. The two-time all-conference catcher was projected to go within the first ten rounds, but his name was never called during the two day event.

Kelly could not be reached for comment.

As for Adams, he says it was an exciting moment to hear his given name called – Thomas Adams – even if it was the one he doesn’t like to hear.

“I’ve never gone by it unless I’m in trouble,” Adams said. “I just kept thinking, man, they better not of just called me Thomas.”

Ian Preston can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 282 or [email protected]