Oakland, Calif. ? The Oakland Athletics announced Tuesday that they signed former Kansas University pitcher T.J. Walz to a minor-league contract after selecting the right-hander in the 15th round of last week’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Walz was assigned to the team’s Class A Short-Season affiliate, the Vermont Lake Monsters. Vermont Lake opens its New York-Penn League season Monday against the Lowell Spinners, a Boston Red Sox affiliate.

Walz led KU in wins last year, going 6-5 in 14 starts with 85 strikeouts in 902/3 innings. He finished with a 3.97 earned-run average, while holding the opposition to a .241 average. He was named All-Big 12 honorable mention for the second time in his career.