MILWAUKEE (AP) -- For what it's worth, the Milwaukee Brewers' latest addition comes highly recommended by a guy with some local ties: Indiana University basketball coach Tom Crean.
The Brewers selected Hoosiers pitcher Eric Arnett with the No. 26 overall pick in Tuesday's Major League Baseball first-year player draft. Arnett, a 6-foot-5 right-hander, was 12-2 with a 2.50 ERA as a junior last season, throwing six complete games and holding opponents to a .212 batting average.
But Arnett also was close to Crean's rebuilding Indiana basketball team, working out with the players and incorporating their weightlifting program into his workout regimen.
"He's a great guy," Arnett said of Crean. "He's even helped me through baseball. He talked to the Brewers. He talked to a lot of people. He's been great."
Crean, who left Milwaukee's Marquette University to coach Indiana last season, noted Arnett's selection on his Twitter account.
"I am going to really miss my season tickets now," Crean tweeted.
Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said he considers Crean a reputable reference, given his expertise in evaluating athletes -- even if he's usually watching basketball players.
"Tom gave a very, very glowing report," Melvin said.
