The Mississippi State baseball program is one of 16 teams preparing for a Super Regional this weekend.
MSU also is preparing to lose a few players who helped it get there.
While several MSU signees were selected Monday on the opening night of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft, MSU has a handful of current players to track.
Starting pitcher Konnor Pilkington and center fielder Jake Mangum entered the season with the most draft buzz. Despite a 2-6 record and a 4.61 earned run average, Pilkington still is expected to be drafted in the first five rounds. The left-hander struck out 97 in 91 2/3 innings. Opponents had a batting average of .264 against him.
As a junior, Pilkington has one more year of eligibility, but he likely will strike a deal with the franchise that drafts him.
Last year, The New York Yankees selected Mangum in the 30th round, but Mangum told The Dispatch he opted to stay at MSU because it didn’t feel right to leave MSU after two years. With After a junior season in which he hit .354 and had 20 doubles and three home runs, he could be more receptive to leaving school to play pro ball.
Redshirt sophomore starting pitcher Ethan Small is another candidate to get drafted. Small has a 2.94 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings. He has lasted at least six innings in 10 of his 15 starts.
Small is in his first season back from Tommy John surgery.
Second baseman Hunter Stovall and outfielder Elijah MacNamee also could get drafted, but neither player is expected to leave school.
Pitchers JP France, Zach Neff, and Jacob Billingsley also are draft candidates.
While MSU will wait to see how many of its current players get selected, three signees were taken in the first round. The Atlanta Braves drafted Carter Stewart No. 8 overall, the Los Angeles Dodgers selected J.T. Ginn No. 30 overall, and the Los Angeles Angels drafted Jeremiah Jackson No. 57 overall. All three are expected to sign pro deals, especially Stewart and Ginn given their draft pick slot values are $4,980,700 and $2,275,800, respectively.
Stewart was one of the best right-handed pitching prospects in the draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida. Ginn is a right-handed pitcher from Brandon who has long been considered a draft prospect worthy of skipping college. Jackson is a shortstop from St. Luke’s in Mobile, Alabama. He has an additional pull to sign with the Angels as the minor league team in his hometown, the Mobile BayBears, is the Angels’ Double-A affiliate.
Ole Miss’ Rolison, Southern Mississippi’s Sandlin selected
The Colorado Rockies used the No. 22 overall pick in the first round to select Ole Miss left-hander Ryan Rolison, while the Cleveland Indians used the 67th overall pick (second round) to draft Southern Mississippi right-hander Nick Sandlin.
Rolison, a sophomore, is the first Ole Miss player taken in the first round since Drew Pomeranz went fifth overall to the Cleveland Indians in 2010. He’s the fifth first-rounder in Rebel history, joining Pomeranz, Michael Rosamond (1999), Chris Coghlan (2005), and Lance Lynn (2008).
Rolison was 10-4 on the season with a 3.70 ERA in 97 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters were just .235 off of the Jackson, Tennessee, native. His 120 strikeouts rank second among Southeastern Conference pitchers.
Rolison is the 100th Rebel drafted in coach Mike Bianco’s 18 seasons.
Sandlin, the Conference USA Pitcher of the Year and a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes and Dick Howser Awards for top collegiate baseball player, posted a 10-0 record with a 1.06 ERA. He struck out 144 and walked 18 in 102 1/3 innings.
Staff and wire reports were
included in this report.
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