Houston Harding came up clutch time after time for Mississippi State during the 2021 season.
On Wednesday, the Bulldogs left-hander parlayed that success into a professional contract.
Harding tweeted Wednesday afternoon he had signed a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Angels a week after going unselected in the 2021 MLB draft.
“One tweet cannot convey how grateful I am to have been given an opportunity in Starkville,” Harding said. “It has been the greatest honor being a part of this team and helping bring this city its first title!”
The lefty finished with a 3.05 ERA in 62 innings across 21 appearances as Mississippi State claimed its first national championship. He made starts against Texas and Vanderbilt in the College World Series, pitching at least four innings in each appearance to anchor the Bulldogs’ pitching staff.
Harding’s five-inning, 10-strikeout relief outing against Campbell in the Starkville Regional final helped the Bulldogs get to Omaha in the first place. The prior week, he delivered 5.2 innings of scoreless relief to help Mississippi State sweep Alabama.
Mississippi State outfielder Tanner Allen signed his rookie contract with the Miami Marlins on Sunday, while signees James Wood and Maddux Bruns signed with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, respectively, on Tuesday. Outfielder Rowdey Jordan signed with the New York Mets on Wednesday.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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