University of Nebraska left-handed pitcher Aaron Marsden (Grand Forks, N.D.) became the first Husker selected in the 2003 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, as he was selected in the third round (No. 77) overall by the Colorado Rockies.

Marsden, a two-time All-Big 12 selection, was the highest Husker player drafted since 1995 when Darin Erstad (No. 1) and Alvie Shepherd (No. 21) were both selected in the first round. Marsden compiled a 16-4 record with a 2.80 ERA in two seasons as a Husker. He is eighth on NU?s innings pitched list (215.0) and ninth on NU?s career strikeout list (188).

"I couldn?t be more proud of Aaron," Nebraska Associate Head Coach and Pitching Coach Rob Childress said. "He has worked as hard as any player I have coached and this honor is well deserved. He is a self-made pitcher whose hard work and motivation helped him to develop into a third-round pick."

This spring, the 6-foot-6 left-hander went 8-3 with a 2.90 ERA, fanning 113 hitters in 115 innings of work, as the Huskers went 47-21 en route to their second Big 12 title in three years. The Big 12 Pitcher of the Year this spring, Marsden led the league in complete games (five), ranked second in both innings pitched (115) and strikeouts (113) and was third in ERA.

As a sophomore, Marsden went 8-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 100 innings pitched, helping the Huskers to a College World Series appearance in 2002. In the classroom, he was a first-team Academic All-American, as he carries a 3.95 GPA in business administration. It was the second time that Marsden was drafted, as he was a 34th-round draft pick out of junior college in 2001.

Marsden?s Career Stats
Year   ERA  W-L  App  GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP    H   R  ER BB SO
2002   2.70 8-1  20   13  3   2/0   0  100.0 80  39 30 40 75
2003   2.90 8-3  16   16  5   0/1   0  115.0 110 45 37 21 113
TOTAL  2.80 16-4  36   29  8   2/1   0  215.0 190 84 67 61 188