Mississippi State pitcher Khal Stephen was named a Third-Team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association on Friday, the Bulldogs’ lone selection. Stephen, outfielder Dakota Jordan and pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje earned spots on the All-South Region first team, with shortstop David Mershon named to the second team.
Stephen, in his first year with MSU after spending his first two college seasons at Purdue, became the Bulldogs’ ace and one of the Southeastern Conference’s best starting pitchers. He finished 8-3 with a 3.28 ERA, leading the SEC with 96 innings pitched. In his final start of the season, Stephen pitched eight innings of two-run ball in the NCAA regionals against St. John’s, striking out 10 batters without issuing a walk.
Jordan and Cijntje were also named Second-Team All-Americans by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, with Stephen earning a third-team selection. In addition, Cijntje is a Second-Team All-American according to Perfect Game.
For Jordan, the honors have been pouring in throughout the season. The sophomore won the Ferriss Trophy, presented annually to the best college baseball player in Mississippi, and was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award for the best amateur baseball player in the United States. Jordan led the Bulldogs with 20 home runs and 72 runs batted in while batting .354 and slugging .671.
Cijntje, after posting an 8.10 ERA as a freshman, was 8-2 this spring with a 3.67 ERA in 90 2/3 innings pitched. He struck out 113 batters while walking just 30 and held opponents to a .211 batting average, and like Jordan is a potential first-round pick in next month’s MLB Draft.
Mershon, after missing the first five games of the season with an injury, hit safely in 12 straight games upon his return, batting .438 in that stretch. He finished the season with a .347 average, 12 doubles, six homers and 60 runs scored, and was 27-for-30 on stolen base attempts.
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