Four MSU baseball players were selected in the 2017 MLB Draft. Senior pitcher Joe Mockbee, junior outfielder Brandon Hughes, sophomore pitchers Nathan Witt and Alex Troop heard their names called over the three-day draft.
Mockbee, an Akron, Ohio native, was selected in the 29th round by the Chicago White Sox, No. 867 overall. He had an impressive season, compiling 56 strikeouts and leading the Big Ten regular season stats with 29 appearances. He chalked up a 4-4 record while pitching a combined 43.2 innings.
Hughes was also selected by a team which calls Chicago home, this time the defending World Series Champions, the Cubs. The 6-foot-2 outfielder was selected in the 16th round, No. 495 overall. The second team All-Big Ten honoree was named the John Kobs Most Valuable Player team award, among other Spartan accolades. This season, Hughes led the Big Ten in stolen bases, ended with a .330 batting average and led the Big Ten for most RBIs in a single game.
The Los Angeles Dodgers picked up Nathan Witt in the 17th round, No. 520 overall. Witt had 19 strikeouts this season and a 2-0 record in 22.2 innings pitched. In his first 14.1 innings of the season Witt allowed just two runs.
Troop was selected by the Washington Nationals in the ninth round, No. 283 overall. The Spartans' ace starting pitcher, Troop had eight wins with a 2.47 ERA and 83 strikeouts. On May 22 he was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week. On the season, Troop also had a .321 batting average with three home runs and 12 RBIs.
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