QND’s Ray selected by White Sox in 12th round of MLB Draft

QUINCY — Johnny Ray, a 2017 graduate of Quincy Notre Dame High School, was selected in the 12th round of the Major League Baseball Draft on Tuesday by the Chicago White Sox.

Ray, 22, is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound right-handed pitcher. He recently completed his second season at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. He had a 2.53 earned run average in 21⅓ innings for the Horned Frogs during the shortened 2020 season, striking out 21 batters and holding batters to a .181 average. His best game was a two-hit shutout against Minnesota, earning him Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week honors.

His numbers weren’t as impressive in 2021, though he did pitch more. Ray started 11 games while making two relief appearances. He had a 3-3 record with a 6.50 earned run average. He struck out 45 batters in 44⅓ innings, but he also walked 28 batters (averaging nearly 6 per nine innings) and allowed 13 home runs.

Ray’s best outing of 2021 was when he went eight innings, striking out eight and allowing three runs in a 10-3 victory over Kansas on April 24. He allowed one run in 5⅓ innings in his next start on May 2 against West Virginia. He pitched only three more times after that game. Ray pitched only 2⅓ innings against Texas on May 9. He failed to record an out against Louisiana-Monroe on May 15 and against Kansas State on May 22. He didn’t appear in another game.

Texas Christian posted a 41-17 record and won the Big 12 Conference Tournament to earn a bid as a host for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. After beating McNeese State 12-4, the Horned Frogs lost 8-6 to Dallas Baptist and 3-2 to Oregon State.

Ray hit .411 as a senior at Quincy Notre Dame and was named to The Herald-Whig All-Area team. He batted .385 as a junior. He was ranked No. 27 overall and the No. 11 right-handed pitcher in Illinois in 2017 by Perfect Game.

Injuries hindered Ray for much of his high school and early college pitching career. A lingering elbow issue limited him to pitching in just four games during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons at QND.

He originally committed to Louisiana State but later chose to attend Illinois State. He never pitched for the Redbirds in 2018 because he underwent Tommy John surgery, and he pitched eight innings the following season at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill.

Ray was the 10th consecutive pitcher taken in the draft by the White Sox.

He is the fourth Quincy Notre Dame graduate selected in the history of the MLB Draft. Eric Kuhlman, who played at Bradley University, was taken in the 63rd round (1,396 overall) by the Atlanta Braves in the 1988 draft. Tim Meckes, who played at St. Francis and Quincy University, was taken in the 12th round (No. 303 overall) by the Houston Astros in the 1980 draft. Jeff Johnson was selected out of high school in the 26th round (No. 595 overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1975 draft. 

Jim Finigan is the only QND graduate to ever play in the major leagues. The 1946 graduate played from 1959 to 1964 with the Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Athletics and Philadelphia Athletics. Finigan signed a professional contract with the New York Yankees in 1947.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed the number of QND graduates who had played in the major leagues.