More Bulldogs selected in MLB Draft
After three days, 40 rounds and 1,214 prospects selected, the Major League Baseball draft came to a conclusion on Wednesday.
The draft once again fell right in the middle of teams competing for a chance to play in the College World Series and it made for several instances where players were drafted during Regional ball games on Monday night. One of those was Ole Miss pitcher Ryan Rolison who could be seen checking his phone during the team's Regional Championship game against Tennessee Tech.
It all made for a less-thanideal time for everyone in college baseball and it's why coaches like Mississippi State's Gary Henderson want the dates changed in the future.
“It would be really good if we could get the NCAA, players union and the MLB together and move that to Tuesday and Thursday," Henderson said. "That's not a new topic. Ryan is in the dugout in the sixth or seventh inning and that was a topic of conversation and that isn't ideal.”
Luckily for MSU, they didn't have any issues with the draft this season, but they did have several players hear their names called both present and future.
Monday and Tuesday's first 10 rounds produced five Bulldog signees and one current player, but several more were added to the list over the last day. Senior pitchers J.P. France, Zach Neff and Jacob Billingsley all heard their names called as did junior LHP Ethan Small who was selected in the 26th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. France was picked in the 14th by the Houston Astros, Neff was selected in the 31st by the Minnesota Twins and Billingsley picked by the Astros in the 32nd.
Along with those pitchers drafted was Konnor Pilkington who was taken in the third round on Tuesday by the Chicago White Sox. Small is a draft-eligible sophomore who appears primed to return to school for a junior season. Before getting drafted he gave his thoughts on it Wednesday morning.
“I'm not worried about it,” Small said. “I told myself that I was comfortable with coming back (to school) or going. It's fine with me.”
As far as position players are concerned, MSU saw junior second baseman Hunter Stovall come off the board in the 21st round by the Colorado Rockies. Most noticeably, junior centerfielder Jake Mangum went from a fourth-round projection to a 32nd round pick taken by the New York Mets. Mangum later Wednesday announced that he would not be signing with the Mets and he'll be returning to Mississippi State for his senior season.
There are others who MSU would like to see next year as well and that includes the ones that are signees making their draft decisions. It's likely that those drafted in the first day (Carter Stewart, J.T. Ginn, Jeremiah Jackson, Keaton Winn and Regi Grace) will not be among those coming to school, but the other four players drafted have a very good chance of making it.
Shortstop and RHP Gunner Halter out of Seminole Community College is one of those that could choose the Bulldogs after being drafted in the 26th round by the Indians. RHP Eric Cerantola from Canada was taken by the Rays in the 30th round, third baseman Bryce Bush from Michigan in the 33rd round and RHP Sam Knowlton out of Alabama in the 39th round.
More Starkville flavor included former Yellowjacket Milton Smith Jr. who was taken 657th overall in the 22nd round by the Florida Marlins. Smith Jr. played his junior college ball with Meridian Community College and is continuing his college career at Arkansas-Little Rock.
Players must sign with teams before July 6.