Dillard played catcher,and occasionally pitcher,at Saltillo High School in Saltillo,Mississippi. [1] After his senior year,he was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 15th round (448th overall) of the 2001 Major League Baseball draft. [2] Having recently undergone left shoulder surgery,his hitting was not as proficient as the Brewers expected, [1] so he instead attended Itawamba Community College (ICC) in Fulton,Mississippi. [3] In his 2003 sophomore season,Dillard pitched and won a school-record 11 games for the Itawamba Indians including a win in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II College World Series. [4] He was chosen as the NJCAA Player of the Year. [4] The college honored him with induction in their Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015. [5]
In the 2002 draft,Dillard was selected again by the Brewers,this time in the 34th round as the 1,009th overall pick. [6] He signed with Milwaukee on May 27,2003,after the conclusion of Itawamba's postseason run. [7] Rather than play at catcher as previously drafted,the Brewers chose to utilize him as a pitcher. [1]
Dillard began his professional baseball career in 2003,pitching for the Rookie Arizona League Brewers and Helena Brewers. He played in 14 games,made 4 starts,and went 1–2 with a 3.29 ERA. [8] In 2004,Dillard was primarily a reliever for the Single–A Beloit Snappers. He went 2–5 in 43 appearances with a 3.94 ERA and was second on the team in saves (10). [8] [9]
Dillard played for the High–A Brevard County Manatees in 2005,making 28 starts,and accumulating a 12–10 record with a 2.48 ERA. [8] He led the Florida State League in games started (28),innings pitched (
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