Billy Muldowney first came into contact with Pitt and its baseball program three years ago… Billy Muldowney first came into contact with Pitt and its baseball program three years ago when he met second baseman Jim Negrych.

Muldowney, a pitcher with Duke University at the time, remembers speaking with Negrych a couple of times and mentioning the fact that he was interested in transferring from the Blue Devils.

“It was my freshman year and I heard through a source about this kid looking to transfer,” Negrych recalled. “I actually talked to his father first and we got along pretty well.”

Negrych continued on the recruiting trail afterwards. When he finally spoke with Muldowney, he made sure to point out anything he could about the solid program he was a part of at Pitt.

“From there, he put me in contact with the coaches,” Muldowney said, “and one thing led to another.”

Soon after, Muldowney became a Panther. And as Pitt fans know, the rest is history. He spent the last two years as the ace of head coach Joe Jordano’s staff and currently sits second on the school’s all-time strikeout list with 188.

But, until someone passes him, second is where Muldowney will stay.

In June, the 6-foot-1-inch pitcher from West Chester, Pa. fulfilled a dream. He was selected in the Major League Baseball Draft — in round eight as the 239th overall selection by the Chicago Cubs.

“I think the Chicago Cubs are going to be pleased with what Billy Muldowney brings to the mound,” Jordano said of his ace. “We’re very excited for Billy and his family.”

His draft selection comes off the heels of a season in which Muldowney ended one strikeout shy of becoming only the third Panther to register 100 in a single season. He finished his two-year career with a 12-7 record and a 2.81 ERA in 25 starts.

As with any professional draft, it’s hard to gauge where a certain player may be headed in the MLB Draft. So when Muldowney got the call while sitting around with his mom and dad watching the draft board, he had mixed emotions.

“You never really know,” Muldowney said. “Things I heard were anywhere from rounds four to six, so I fell going to eight, but I’m real excited to be with such a great organization.”

The Cubs made Muldowney their fifth pick in the draft and their second pitcher taken from the Big East. They selected Notre Dame’s Jeff Samardzija in the fifth round.

Wanting to get started with his professional career, Muldowney signed with the Cubs two days after being drafted. For his first order of duty, he left for Mesa, Ariz. to spend a couple days in the Cubs’ extended spring training camp.

From there he headed to Boise, Idaho where he currently plays for the Cubs’ Class-A Short-Season affiliate, the Boise Hawks.

“I’ve never been out to Boise, Idaho,” Muldowney said after the draft, “but I’m really looking forward to getting out there and playing again.”

As Muldowney sets out on his career path with the Cubs, that second baseman who recruited him years ago will be starting his own. Negrych was drafted two rounds before Muldowney by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

With their selections, it marks the first time in Pitt’s baseball history that two of its players were selected in the first eight rounds.

“Once he came, we became real good friends,” Negrych said of Muldowney. “We actually lived together sophomore year. It says a lot about our program for us to go that high.

“We understand Pitt is known as a football and basketball school, but we’re trying to put baseball on the map.”

Muldowney and Negrych will start their careers this summer together and down the road could possibly meet up again. Being drafted by the Cubs and Pirates, respectively, puts both in the National League’s Central Division.

“That’d be awesome,” Muldowney said of maybe playing against Negrych in the major leagues someday. “I’m happy that we can kind of go along the ropes together, it’s pretty nice.”

But will Muldowney let up on his former teammate and good friend if he ever looks into the batter’s box to find him ready to hit?

“No,” he said, pausing to let out a couple of laughs, “not at all.”