Vanden Berg Drafted By Brewers
June 5, 2002 MILWAUKEE - UWM catcher John Vanden Berg was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers this morning in the 25th round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft conducted by Major League Baseball. Vanden Berg is the third Panther in the last three years to be drafted. Scott Gillitzer was drafted in the 22nd round by the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, while Chad Sadowski was drafted in 2000 by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 23rd round. Vanden Berg hit a team-high .409 this past season, the third-best single-season average in UWM history. He also hit six home runs and drove in 57 runs in leading the Panthers to the Horizon League Tournament Championship and their second-straight berth in the NCAA Tournament. Vanden Berg was named to the All-Horizon League First Team as a catcher and was named to the Horizon League All-Tournament Team. In 2001, Vanden Berg was named the league's co-newcomer of the year while hitting .346 with 10 home runs. In his two-year career at UWM, Vanden Berg hit .382, the third-best career average in school history. Prior to attending UWM, Vanden Berg spent two seasons at Northern Illinois University. UWM's season ended June 1 with a 6-1 loss to Southwest Missouri State. The Panthers won 36 games and set a school-record by winning 13-straight games from late April to mid-May.
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