Nine Razorbacks total picked up in 2021 MLB Draft Share Updated: 6:53 AM CDT Jul 14, 2021 SOURCE: Michael Wade The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Share Updated: 6:53 AM CDT Jul 14, 2021 By ArkRazorbacks.com Nine Diamond Hogs were drafted in the 2021 MLB Draft with six taken on Monday in rounds 2-10 and three more secured by teams on Tuesday. The first MLB pickup was Arkansas pitcher Kevin Kopps who was chosen as the 99th overall pick to the San Diego Padres. Kopps finished the 2021 campaign with a 12-1 record and 11 saves. He posted the nation’s lowest ERA (0.90) and WHIP (0.76), striking out 131 in 89 2/3 innings of work. Outfielder Christian Franklin was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the fourth round before pitcher Ryan Costeiu was picked up by the Los Angeles Angels in the seventh round (No. 201st overall). Catcher Casey Opitz was selected in the eighth round by the Cubs (No. 244 overall) and Patrick Wicklander went to the Tampa Bay Rays (No. 251 overall). Franklin heads to the Windy City after starting in 60 of 61 games for the Razorbacks and finishing off the 2021 campaign with a .274 batting average and 13 home runs. He also had a team-leading 11 stolen bases.Costeiu, a Razorback reliever, struck out 40 in 30.0 innings of work this season. He posted an 8-3 record.Opitz will join Franklin with the Cubs organization after driving in 18 runs while providing strong defense behind the plate and sending out two home runs.Wicklander emerged as the Razorbacks’ Friday night starter after beginning the year out of the bullpen. The leftie finished with a 7-1 record and 2.09 ERA in 77 2/3 innings of work. He struck out 85 batters this season.Pitcher Lael Lockhart rounded out Monday's haul of Razorback draftees. He was selected as No. 282 overall pick to the Los Angeles Dodgers.A graduate transfer from Houston, Lockhart had some Sunday starts for the Hogs with a 3-3 record and a 4.47 ERA. The Hogs had four pitchers selected in the draft's first 10 rounds for only the second time in program history. Three Razorback signees were selected through the first three days of the MLB Draft, including one in Sunday's first round. Infielder Max Muncy was drafted by the Oakland Athletics (first round, No. 25 overall) along with infielder Jordan Viars (third round, No. 84 overall - Philadelphia Phillies) and pitcher/outfielder Drew Gray (third round, No. 93 overall - Chicago Cubs).The Draft continued into Tuesday when Arkansas pitcher Caden Monke heard his name called as the No. 409 pick to the Kansas City Royals in the 14th round. Monke posted a 3.71 ERA with 42 strikeouts last season.Elijah Trest was picked up by the Colorado Rockies in the 19th round (No. 560 overall). The right-hander punched 15 strikeouts in 14.1 innings out of the bullpen this past season, with a 3.14 ERA on the year.Everyone's favorite pinch hitter, Charlie Welch, was taken by the Seattle Mariners in the 19th round on Tuesday. Welch posted a .388 batting average with eight home runs this year. He drove in 25 runs, too. According to notes from the University, "The Razorbacks' nine draftees this year trailed only UCLA's 10. Arkansas' six pitchers taken (Kopps, Costeiu, Wicklander, Lockhart, Monke and Trest) is the most the program has ever had selected in the first 20 rounds of the MLB Draft."Additionally, "Arkansas' nine total picks, meanwhile, topped the SEC, which led all conferences with 67 overall selections. South Carolina (8), Florida (7), Tennessee (7), Vanderbilt (7), Alabama (5), Mississippi State (5), Auburn (4), Texas A&M (4), Kentucky (3), Ole Miss (3), Georgia (2), LSU (2) and Missouri (1) all followed behind the Hogs."Two more incoming signees also heard their names called Tuesday, including Braylon Bishop was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 14th round (No. 403 overall), and infielder Drake Varnado was scooped up by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 17th round (No. 498 overall). Varnado announced he's already made it to Fayetteville and will play this season for the Hogs.