Baseball: Oswego East’s Noah Schultz, Ashton Izzi make it official, sign pro contracts

Former Oswego East pitchers Noah Schultz and Ashton Izzi both made it official Saturday, signing their professional baseball contracts.

Schultz, a 6-foot-9 left-handed pitcher drafted by the Chicago White Sox with the 26th overall pick in the first round, signed a minor-league contract with a $2.8 million signing bonus. Schultz had previously made a verbal commitment to play collegiately at Vanderbilt, but indicated to White Sox reporters on the night of the draft that he intended to sign with the White Sox.

“My heart stopped,” Schultz told White Sox reporters in a press conference Sunday night while wearing a black White Sox cap. “It’s the best night of my life. It’s always been a dream of mine to play in the major leagues. To be drafted by the hometown team, it’s just something I’ve been looking forward to my entire life. It’s surreal.”

Izzi, a right-handed pitcher drafted by the Seattle Mariners with the 126th overall selection in the fourth round, signed a minor-league contract with a $1.1 million signing bonus. Izzi had committed to play collegiately at Wichita State but opted to turn pro.

“Officially a Mariner! Time to get to work!” Izzi tweeted after his signing.

“Hearing our names on the draft, hearing Oswego East, it’s surreal,” Izzi said after he was drafted. “It means a lot to give back to the community. It will be sweet to have us both doing the same thing eventually, pitching at the highest level.”