McClure follows Bears QB to Chicago

CHICAGO -- Kade McClure was selected Tuesday by the White Sox in the sixth round of the 2017 MLB Draft. But the right-hander still runs second to the most famous Chicago draft pick coming from Mentor, Ohio, this year.
That honor goes to Mitch Trubisky, the standout quarterback out of North Carolina who was taken second overall by the Bears in the NFL draft. McClure and Trubisky happen to be good friends and former teammates.
"We grew up playing youth football together," McClure said of Trubisky during a phone interview Tuesday. "He's one of my best friends. We were FaceTiming last night talking about the Draft and what was going to happen.
"He said it would be cool if I was drafted by the Cubs or Sox and I said, 'Yeah that would be awesome.' It panned out that way today."
McClure stood as one of two White Sox picks in Day 2 of the Draft coming from Louisville. Right-hander Lincoln Henzman went in the fourth round, so these friends and former roommates with the Cardinals will be starting their professional baseball life together.
• White Sox pick two-way player Gonzalez on Day 2
The Draft concludes on Wednesday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at 12 p.m. ET.

Before the Louisville duo can think about the White Sox, they first have the College World Series to consider. Play begins Saturday in Omaha, Neb., with McClure carrying an 8-3 record and 102 strikeouts over 97 innings and Henzman standing as the team's closer with 16 saves.
:: 2017 MLB Draft coverage ::
Henzman followed Zack Burdi, the 26th pick overall by the White Sox in the '16 Draft, in that late-innings role for Louisville.
"I'm excited to play with him, maybe, one day," said Henzman, who received a congratulatory text from Burdi. "It's awesome. It's always a dream as a little kid to get drafted."
"Man, it's crazy," McClure said of getting drafted and taking part in the College World Series. "I'm just very thankful and appreciative of the White Sox for giving me this opportunity. I'm excited to see what Louisville can do out there in Omaha. I'm very excited to hopefully end up on top out there."
Louisville was practicing when both players were drafted. Henzman's family celebrated in the stands when his name was announced, while Louisville coach Dan McDonnell called McClure to second base and joked with him how apparently he couldn't be separated from Henzman.
"I didn't know what he was talking about," said McClure, who has roomed with Henzman for three years on the road and stayed in the same host house during a summer competition in New Hampshire. "He told me about the White Sox drafting me."

Before the pick was announced, McClure texted the news to Trubisky. The hope is McClure, Trubisky's backup quarterback in high school, can join his friend someday as a pro athlete in Chicago.
"Good dude, and he gets things done on and off the field," McClure said of Trubisky. "I don't know why anyone would doubt that guy. There's no doubt in my mind, friend or not, he's going to get the job done as an NFL quarterback."