Summit’s Slater de Brun celebrates after scoring Summit’s first run during a high school baseball game on May 9 at Summit High School. (Joe Kline/The Bulletin)

Summit High’s Slater de Brun was selected by the Baltimore Orioles with the 37th pick of the Major League Baseball Draft on Sunday night.

An outfielder who just capped off his high school career with a state title last month, de Brun is the highest Central Oregon baseball player to be drafted since Madras’s Jacoby Ellsbury was drafted out of Oregon State in 2005. The Red Sox selected Ellsbury with the 23rd pick and he went on to a long career with Boston and the New York Yankees.

de Brun, who is signed to play at Vanderbilt next spring, will now have to face the choice of whether he wants to play collegiate baseball or begin his professional career.

Last summer, de Brun was selected to play for the Team USA Baseball National Team. In his final high school season, the 5-foot-10-inch de Brun hit .370, drove in 26 runs, scored 35 runs and stole 22 bases while patrolling center field. He was the Intermountain Conference Player of the Year and was named Class 5A first-team all-state.

According to mlb.com: “de Brun’s profile took a step forward with his performances on the summer showcase circuit (in Florida in 2023). He has very impressive bat-to-ball skills with an advanced eye at the plate, understanding that his job is to put the ball in play and get on base, then using his well-above-average speed on the basepaths … De Brun’s speed is also a huge asset in the outfield.”