rebel yells

He was the 1,494th player picked in last month’s draft, not the last to go but near it. For that reason alone, it’ll be interesting to track the pro career of former Ole Miss catcher Brett Basham, selected as a senior in the 50th round by San Diego. Basham had a good junior year with the Rebels — he was drafted in the 16th round — but played less and produced less this past spring. No doubt he’ll be hungry to prove himself as a pro — and he’s off to a good start in the Arizona League, going 4-for-9 in his first three games. Meanwhile, former Rebels outfielder Jordan Henry, a seventh-round pick by Cleveland, may prove to a steal. He was hitting .316 with 22 runs, 10 RBIs and 11 steals through 28 games at short-season A Mahoning Valley. The Rebels, for the record, had 10 players drafted, more than any school in the country save Georgia (11). Most of them have signed, including much-heralded but oft-injured pitcher Scott Bittle, who, at last look, had yet to make his pro debut with St. Louis.