From Special Reports
No current Bulldogs heard their names called in the second day of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft, but a trio of potential future members of the Mississippi State baseball program did.
MSU signees Troy Bacon, Pearson McMahan and Tyreque Reed all got selected Tuesday; Reed went in the eighth round after Bacon and McMahan went in the fourth.
Bacon was taken by the Atlanta Braves with the 110th overall pick, drawing a slot value of $487,400 if he chooses to skip MSU. The Tampa product most recently served as Santa Fe College’s closer, tallying 15 saves in 24 appearances with a 1.23 earned run average. He struck out 59 in 44 innings. The last five players selected at No. 110 overall took the offer and went to the minor leagues.
McMahan was six picks behind Bacon as he was selected by the Colorado Rockies. McMahan was a crucial bullpen arm for St. Johns River State College this spring, compiling a 6-1 record on 42 1/3 innings pitched with 61 strikeouts and a 2.76 ERA.
Reed was taken by the Texas Rangers with the 254th overall pick. His final year at Itawamba Community College proved his potential as a power hitter: 15 doubles, a triple and 15 home runs led him to a slugging percentage of .943. He ended the season with a .504 average and struck out just 11 times in 141 at-bats.
Most draft experts expected current MSU center fielder Jake Mangum and shortstop Ryan Gridley to be taken on the second day, but neither were drafted. Both will be on the board for the final day of the draft Wednesday, when the draft completes rounds 11 through 40.
Mangum and Gridley could be taken as well as a pair of Bulldog seniors, utility player Cody Brown and catcher Josh Lovelady. One other underclassman that could get selected is third baseman Harrison Bragg.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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