In the June 1983 amateur draft, Belcher was selected as the first pick in the draft by the Minnesota Twins. He later re-entered the draft, being chosen by the Yankees, then ended up with Oakland (pictured here - right) via a compensation pool. He was traded to the Dodgers after working his way up the Oakland farm system.
Former MVNU Cougar Tim Belcher named Cleveland Indians pitching coach
Cleveland, Ohio
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tim Belcher, a former standout pitcher at Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU), the number one draft pick in 1983, and a 14-year Major League Baseball veteran, has been named the new pitching coach of the Cleveland Indians.

"I always wanted to at some point do this ... there's never going to a more convenient time," Belcher said in a Cleveland Indians press release on Friday, November 6.

Belcher put the Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball program on the map when he became the first Cougar to be drafted by a professional baseball team.

In the June 1983 amateur draft, Belcher was selected as the first pick in the draft by the Minnesota Twins. He was the first MVNU athlete to have his jersey (#21) retired, was the second member of the Cougar Wall of Fame (1994), and he was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame at the 2004 NAIA World Series.

During his three years at MVNU, Belcher received numerous accolades. Following his junior season in 1983, he was named to the Sporting News All-American Team and selected as an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American. He threw a no-hitter against Kenyon College during that season and was overpowering in the game with a school-record 18 strikeouts and no walks.

For the full Indians press release, click here.
--MVNU Athletics
 
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