BY BEN WAIT
STARKVILLE — After not having a player taken last year, the Mississippi State baseball team had a school-record 11 players selected in the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Dakota Hudson, Reid Humphreys, Daniel Brown, Jacob Robson, Zac Houston, Nathaniel Lowe, Gavin Collins, Vance Tatum, Austin Sexton, Jack Kruger and Brent Rooker were all drafted. MSU was third behind Texas A&M (13) and Southern California (12).
Hudson was taken with the 34th overall pick in the first round by the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday. He was with his family in a hotel in Starkville as he saw his name pop up on the screen. The junior right-handed pitcher is the 13th Bulldog drafted in the first round.
He was expected to go earlier in the first round, but he fell all the way to the final pick of the initial round.
“Being with my family was a special moment for me,” Hudson said. “It’s hard to put it all in words, but it was really a special moment for me.”
Hudson (9-5) threw 6 1/3 innings in a 1-0 loss Friday. He allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out six.
The slot value of Hudson’s pick is $1,878,000.
Junior left fielder/right-handed pitcher Humphreys was drafted in the seventh round (200 overall) by the Colorado Rockies Friday. The Brandon native was drafted as a pitcher. The slot value of his pick is $227,400.
Junior left-handed pitcher Brown was drafted right after Humphreys by the Milwaukee Brewers. The slot value of his pick is $225,500. Junior centerfielder Jacob Robson was taken in the eighth round (235 overall) by the Detroit Tigers. The slot value of his pick is $181,600.
Junior right-handed pitcher Houston was taken in the 11th round (325 overall) by the Tigers Saturday. Junior first baseman Lowe was taken in the 13th round (390 overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays. His younger brother, Joshua, was taken with the 13th overall pick by the Rays Thursday. Junior third baseman Collins was taken in the 13th round (392 overall) by the Cleveland Indians. He was drafted as a catcher.
Junior left-handed pitcher Tatum was drafted in the 18th round (553 overall) by the Kansas City Royals. Junior right-handed pitcher Sexton was taken in the 18th round (556 overall) by the Cardinals. Junior catcher Kruger was selected in the 20th round (606) overall by the Los Angeles Angels. Redshirt sophomore right fielder Rooker was drafted in the 38th round (1,143 overall) by the Minnesota Twins.
MSU signees Walker Robbins, Colin Holderman, Douglas Ashcraft and Dustin Skelton were also selected. Robbins, a George County High School first baseman and left-handed pitcher, was taken in the fifth round (166 overall) by the Cardinals. The slot value of his pick is $315,600. His father told the Clarion-Ledger he is expected to sign. Heartland (Ill.) Community College product Holderman was taken in the ninth round (280th overall) by the New York Mets. The slot value of his pick is $163,700. Hunstville (Ala.) High School right-handed pitcher Ashcraft was taken in the 12th round (371 overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Magnolia Heights School third baseman Skelton was taken in the 36th round (1,092 overall) to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The deadline to agree to terms is July 15.
Ole Miss players drafted
On the final day of the 2016 MLB Draft, three Ole Miss players were selected by professional teams to continue their baseball careers. The pitching trio of Chad Smith, Brady Bramlett and Wyatt Short heard their names called Saturday.
Smith was the first Rebel picked on day three, going to the Miami Marlins in the 11th round (seventh pick of the round). With the 12th pick in round 13, Ole Miss ace Bramlett was drafted by the Boston Red Sox. The Chicago Cubs selected left-handed closer Short in the 13th round to bring the total number of Rebels drafted to six.
For the 12th consecutive year, at least four Rebels have been selected in the MLB Draft. Under head coach Mike Bianco (16 seasons), 94 Diamond Rebels have been drafted.
During the second day of the draft Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers used the 25th pick of the sixth round to select shortstop Errol Robinson, while catcher Henri Lartigue was chosen by the Philadelphia Phillies to begin the seventh round.
Ole Miss Baseball All-American outfielder J.B. Woodman was taken Thursday by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 16th pick of the second round and the draft’s 57th overall.
Alabama players drafted
Alabama baseball had five players taken on day three of the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft. The Crimson Tide had six players drafted across the three-day event for a second consecutive season.
The day featured five players drafted to MLB teams, including: Nick Eicholtz (Miami Marlins, 13th Round), Will Haynie (Colorado Rockies, 16th round), Matt Foster (Chicago White Sox, 20th round), Colton Freeman (Chicago Cubs, 20th round) and Geoffrey Bramblett (Kansas City Royals, 30th round). Thomas Burrows was drafted on day two of the draft in the fourth round by the Seattle Mariners, rounding out the six Alabama players selected.
Southern Mississippi players drafted
Southern Miss right-handed pitcher Jake Winston and catcher Chuckie Robinson each earned selection in the final day of the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Draft Saturday afternoon.
The Arizona Diamondbacks chose Winston in the 17th round (No. 509 pick overall) making him the first Golden Eagle selection by the organization since they took Jeff Cook in the 5th round of the 2003 draft.
Robinson earned selection by the Houston Astros in the 21st round (No. 637 pick overall) as he became the first Southern Miss player taken by the club since Anthony DeWitt went in the 36th round in 2004.
Big crowds
As only MSU fans can do, they turned out in droves.
Saturday’s attendance was 13,452 — the second-largest super regional crowd ever. Friday’s attendance was 12,913. At the time, it was the second-largest super regional crowd.
MSU’s owns the largest super regional crowd. In front of 13,715 fans, MSU beat Clemson 8-5 in game two of the 2007 Starkville Super Regional to advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
Overall, the top four super regional attendance figures of all-time have been in the only four super regional games played at Dudy Noble Field.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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