draft doodles

A total of 34 Mississippians were chosen in the three-day MLB draft, from Mississippi State’s Ethan Small at 28th overall to Itawamba Community College’s Jackson Lancaster at No. 1,146 (38th round). … Seven high school players were taken, including Jackson Prep’s Jerrion Ealy, generally rated as the best prospect in the state but firmly committed to playing football and baseball at Ole Miss. Ealy was drafted in the 31st round by Arizona. Not included in the seven is Kendall Williams, an Olive Branch native who played at IMG Academy in Florida. He was the 52nd overall pick. The top pick from a state prep was James Beard of Loyd Star; he went in the fourth round to the Chicago White Sox. … Clinton High saw two players get picked: Christian Johnson by Tampa Bay in the 19th round and Hilton (Dallas) Dyer by Philadelphia in Round 21. … For just the second time ever, a Mississippi College player was drafted. Blaine Crim, an Alabama native and the Gulf South Conference player of the year in 2019, went to Texas in the 19th round. … Four junior college players were picked, led by Mississippi Gulf Coast CC’s Brandon Parker, who went to Atlanta in the 10th round. The Braves also drafted Smithville High star pitcher Jared Johnson. … Milwaukee picked MSU’s Small, the SEC pitcher of the year, and grabbed Ole Miss’ Thomas Dillard in the fifth round. … Eleven MSU players — a program record — were drafted. Ole Miss had eight picked and Southern Miss two. Each of the Big 3 had a player picked on Day 1: Small, USM’s Matt Wallner and UM’s Grae Kessinger. … Colorado drafted five Mississippians, including UM’s Will Ethridge in Round 5. Houston took three, topped by Kessinger in the second round, and the New York Mets also pegged three, including State’s Jake Mangum in the fourth round.