Tag Archives: Ole Miss

23 Jul

where ya been?

Back in the big leagues for the first time in two years, Konnor Pilkington threw two perfect innings in relief for Washington and got a win, his first since 2022. The Pascagoula native and ex-Mississippi State standout, called up from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, worked the fifth and sixth innings of the Nationals’ 6-1 win against Cincinnati. “It’s special,” Pilkington told mlb.com. “I was very excited, to say the least.” Mixing a mid-90s fastball with a slider and changeup, the East Central High grad struck out the side in the sixth. “That’s Konnor with a K, boys and girls,” said a Nats broadcaster. “What a Nationals debut for this lefty.” He became the 28th Mississippian (native or school alum) to play in a big league game in 2025. Pilkington was a third-round draft pick back in 2018 by the Chicago White Sox, who traded him to Cleveland at the deadline in 2021. He went 1-2 with a 3.88 ERA in 15 games for the Guardians in 2022, made just one MLB appearance in ’23 and spent all of last season in the minors. He became a minor league free agent last fall and signed with Washington. He had a 2.59 ERA, four wins, two saves and eight holds in 36 games for Triple-A Rochester. Pilkington was an ace starter at State, going 14-12, 3.47, with 260 strikeouts over three seasons. P.S. Brandon native J.T. Ginn, another MSU product, made his first start since late May for the A’s and, opposing Texas and Jacob deGrom, threw five innings of one-run ball. He has a 4.50 ERA over 12 games. … Austin Riley, the former DeSoto Central High star, apparently won’t be activated by Atlanta until later in the week. The veteran third baseman was eligible to come off the injured list on Tuesday. … The Chicago Cubs assigned Spencer Turnbull, ex-Madison Central standout, to Triple-A Iowa. A recent free agent signee, he pitched in rookie ball on Saturday. … Righty Mason Morris, third-round pick out of Ole Miss, has signed with Cincinnati for $897,500, per mlb.com.

22 Jul

names to know

Brandon Woodruff: The Mississippi State product from Wheeler threw six commanding innings for Milwaukee on Monday, driving the Brewers to a 6-0 win at Seattle. Milwaukee has won 11 straight, taken over first place in the National League Central and claimed the best record in the majors (60-40). In his third start since coming off the injured list, Woodruff (2-0) limited the Mariners to two hits, walked none and struck out five. He has a 1.65 ERA on the season with 23 K’s and no walks in 16 1/3 innings.
Reed Trimble: The ex-Southern Miss star from Tupelo takes a 20-game on-base streak into Double-A Chesapeake’s contest tonight at Altoona. He was batting .119 when his streak began; he is hitting .283 in July and .211 with seven homers and 10 steals overall for the Baysox, a Baltimore affiliate. The 65th overall pick in the 2021 draft, the 25-year-old outfielder has battled injuries ever since.
J.B. Middleton: The 2025 draftee out of USM reportedly has signed with Colorado for $2.07 million. A first-team All-America selection and the state’s Ferriss Trophy winner, he was the 45th overall pick, the highest any Golden Eagles pitcher has ever been picked. Middleton is the third player drafted on Day 1 this year from a Mississippi school confirmed to have signed, joining JoJo Parker and Jake Cook.
Banks Tolley: The former St. Andrew’s standout from Madison is one of the leading hitters for Schaumburg, which hosts the Mississippi Mud Monsters tonight to start a Frontier League series. Tolley is hitting .318 with eight homers and 36 RBIs in 44 games for the independent club. He led St. Andrews to a state title in 2018, starred at Meridian Community College for two years, played a reserve role on Ole Miss’ 2022 national title team and got All-America recognition at Appalachian State in 2024.

17 Jul

meanwhile …

While the major and minor leagues were on hiatus for the All-Star break, there were pro games on Wednesday night in the MLB Partner leagues, aka independent ball. A host of Mississippians took the field in American Association games, with former Ole Miss catcher Hayden Dunhurst enjoying the brightest moment. He went 3-for-4 with a double and a run in Lake Country’s 8-0 win against Gary SouthShore. He also called pitches for Luke Hansel’s five-hitter. (Former big leaguer Cody Reed of Horn Lake pitches out of the bullpen for Gary SouthShore but didn’t work on Wednesday.) Ole Miss product Taylor Broadway, who has a 4.45 ERA in 21 games as a reliever for Cleburne, was in the lineup Wednesday as the DH — for the first time — and went 1-for-5 in the Railroaders’ 13-4 win over Kane County. Former Hattiesburg High star Joe Gray Jr. had a hit for Milwaukee — which only had five — in an 11-1 loss to Chicago; Gray is hitting .238 with three homers and 15 RBIs since the Milkmen picked him up on waivers in late May. (Southern Miss alum J.C. Keys pitches for Chicago but didn’t get in Wednesday’s game.) Ex-Mississippi State standout and onetime big leaguer Jacob Robson was 1-for-4 for Winnipeg in a 3-2 loss to Sioux Falls; he has hit seven homers for the Goldeyes. West Point native Steffon Moore threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts in his second appearance for Kansas City, which lost to Fargo-Moorhead 4-2. Jackson State alum Jaylyn Williams, a .298 hitter for the Monarchs, was 0-for-4 on Wednesday. (Ex-Itawamba Community College star Kyle Crigger, 5-4 with 3.05 ERA for F-M, did not pitch.) … In the Frontier League All-Star Game, the Atlantic team beat the Midwest 5-4. Travis Holt of the Mississippi Mud Monsters had a hit for the Midwest. P.S. Three Mississippi high school players are among the 88 invited by USA Baseball to the Under-18 National Team Training Camp in Cary, N.C: Oak Grove outfielder Eric Booth, Magnolia Heights infielder Cole Prosek and Jackson Prep outfielder Kevin Roberts Jr. Phase 1 of the camp starts Friday. Forty players will advance to Phase 2.

16 Jul

just stuff

Adam Frazier left Kansas City as a free agent last fall. Today, the Royals decided they wanted him back. They sent a Triple-A prospect to Pittsburgh to reacquire the Mississippi State product, a utility player who was batting .255 with three homers and 21 RBIs for the last-place Pirates. The Royals are 47-50 and playing better of late. Frazier, a lefty hitter, had a down year with KC in 2024 but is a .263 career hitter in 10 MLB seasons with five different clubs. He has 63 homers and 62 steals. Earlier this season the Royals released two ex-MSU players: Hunter Renfroe and Chris Stratton. Ex-Ole Miss star James McArthur is on their injured list. … MLB Pipeline hailed Washington as having one of the better drafts this year. The Nationals, who took Oklahoma high schooler Eli Willits first overall, drafted East Union High right-hander Landon Harmon in the third round and in later rounds got Ole Miss righty Riley Maddox and MSU first baseman Hunter Hines. Maddox (11-14, 6.09 ERA in four years in Oxford) and Hines (career-record 70 homers in four years in Starkville) already have signed. … Pearl River Community College had four alums drafted, all pitchers: Jacob Johnson and K.K. Clark off the 2025 team and former Wildcats Conner Ware of LSU and Landen Payne of Southern Miss. All four are Magnolia State natives. The River has had 34 alums drafted since 1983, per the school’s website. … The Frontier League All-Star Game is tonight at Troy, N.Y. Brian Williams, Victor Diaz and Travis Holt of the independent Mississippi Mud Monsters have been invited. … On this date in 1988, the longest game in Texas League history concluded with the San Antonio Missions beating the Jackson Mets 1-0 in the 26th inning. It took 7 hours, 23 minutes over three days to complete. It began on July 14 and was suspended at 2:28 a.m. on July 15, scoreless in the 25th inning. It was resumed on July 16 and finally ended in the 26th inning. Blaine Beatty, a future big leaguer with the New York Mets, gave up the winning run. Current Nationals pitching coach Jim Hickey pitched six scoreless innings for the Missions, a Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate. He would later serve as pitching coach for the Double-A Jackson Generals.

15 Jul

starry, starry nights

On the occasion of the 95th MLB All-Star Game, here’s a look at some anniversaries of significance:
Ten years ago, Brian Dozier made his only appearance in the Midsummer Classic — and made an indelible mark. The former Southern Miss star from Fulton, then with the Minnesota Twins, hit a home run in his lone at-bat, taking Mark Melancon deep in the eighth inning at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark. The American League stars won the game 6-3. Dozier became just the fourth Mississippi native to homer in an All-Star Game, following George Scott (1977), Dave Parker (1981) and Frank White (1986). (Mississippi State alum Will Clark also hit an ASG bomb in 1992.) Dozier would hit 28 homers in that 2015 season, helping the Twins to their first winning season in five years. … Twenty years ago, Roy Oswalt made the first of his three All-Star Game appearances. The 2005 season was a banner one for the former Holmes Community College star from Weir. He won 20 games for Houston, went 3-0 in the postseason, took National League Championship Series MVP honors while leading the Astros to the World Series and finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting. But his memories of the All-Star Game that July might not be so pleasant. He allowed two hits, a walk and two runs in an inning of work as the NL lost 7-5 at Detroit’s Comerica Park. In the 2006 ASG, Oswalt threw a scoreless inning. … Tonight’s game will be the third All-Star Game played in Atlanta, each in a different ballpark. In the first, at Fulton County Stadium in 1972, ex-Ole Miss star Don Kessinger of the Chicago Cubs started at shortstop and went 0-for-2 for the Nationals in a 4-3 win. Kessinger made six All-Star teams in his 16-year career. In the 2000 game, at Turner Field, Gulfport native Matt Lawton of Minnesota subbed in for the Americans and went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run in a 6-3 victory. Lawton made two All-Star teams in his 12-year MLB tour. … The Braves’ Hank Aaron homered in the ’72 game and Chipper Jones went yard in the 2000 game. That might bode well for former Mississippi Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr., who’ll bat second for the NL tonight at Truist Park. P.S. Brent Rooker, former Mississippi State standout and an All-Star reserve, missed by an inch — literally — of eliminating eventual champ Cal Raleigh in the first round of Monday night’s Home Run Derby. Both hit 17 homers, but Raleigh advanced to the semifinals on a tiebreaker. His longest homer — a 471-footer — was .08 of an inch longer than Rooker’s 471. (Rooker also inadvertently ran out of balls before his time expired in the first round.) Despite the letdown, Rooker said the experience was “super fun.” Tonight will be Rooker’s second All-Star appearance; the A’s slugger went 1-for-2 as a sub in the 2023 game. … Ocean Springs’ Garrett Crochet, now pitching for Boston, was chosen for the ASG for a second time but elected not to participate.

14 Jul

a bountiful crop

A total of 23 players from Mississippi schools were chosen on Day 2 of the MLB draft — and there were some surprises, as there always are. Southern Miss’ Nick Monistere, who wasn’t ranked among the top 200 prospects by MLB Pipeline or Baseball America, was taken in the fourth round by Houston, No. 126 overall. Monistere, a second baseman, was a first-team All-America selection and the Sun Belt Conference’s player of the year. Mississippi State’s Hunter Hines, who went undrafted as a junior in 2024, was picked in the 10th round by Washington. A first baseman/DH, he hit a school-record 70 homers and batted .282 for his four-year college career. Talon Haley, the lefty from Lewisburg High, slipped to the 12th round, 349th overall, taken by the Los Angeles Angels. A Vanderbilt commit, he was projected to go on Day 1. Purvis High’s Jacob Parker, twin brother of first-rounder JoJo (see previous post), was rated the No. 109 draft prospect by MLB Pipeline but lasted until the 19th round, picked by Arizona. The power-hitting outfielder might wind up at Mississippi State. Three junior college players were picked: Pearl River CC’s co-aces Jacob Johnson and K.K. Clark — Johnson in Round 11 to Texas, MACCC pitcher of the year Clark to Baltimore in Round 15 — and Meridian CC’s Connor Gehr, who went to Baltimore in Round 20. Other state draftees on Day 2: Luke Hill, Ole Miss, Cleveland/fourth round; Pico Kohn, MSU, New York Yankees/fourth; Will McCausland, UM, Cleveland/seventh; Riley Maddox, UM, Washington/eighth; Evan Siary, MSU, Texas/eighth; Karson Ligon, MSU, Toronto/ninth; Mason Nichols, UM, Tampa Bay/ninth; Luke Dotson, MSU, Arizona/11th; Connor Spencer, UM, Chicago Cubs/12th; Nate Williams, MSU, Chicago Cubs/13th; Jacob Pruitt, MSU, Philadelphia/15th; Patrick Galle, UM, Boston/17th; Landen Payne, USM, Chicago White Sox/18th; Brayden Jones, UM, Tampa Bay/18th; Sam Tookoian, UM, Los Angeles Angels/20th; Jay McQueen, Brandon High, Texas/20th. … Including the five state products picked on Day 1 (Rounds 1-3), Mississippi had 28 players chosen in 2025.

14 Jul

pick five

As the eighth overall pick in the MLB draft, Purvis High product JoJo Parker is in elite company. Only three other high school players from Mississippi have been drafted at No. 8 or higher in the 60-year history of the draft. Ted Nicholson was taken third overall in 1969 out of Oak Park in Laurel by the Chicago White Sox, Donny Castle went eighth in 1968 out of Coldwater High to the Washington Senators and Kirk Presley was selected No. 8 in 1993 out of Tupelo High by the New York Mets. Only Castle made it to the big leagues. Parker, a lefty-hitting shortstop, was the state Gatorade player of the year and is regarded as one of the best pure hitters in the 2025 draft class. He was picked by Toronto; the slot value of the eighth pick is $6.81 million, according to mlb.com. (Konnor Griffin, the ninth overall pick last year out of Jackson Prep, signed with Pittsburgh for approximately $6.5M; he already has reached the High-Class A level.) Interestingly, 11 of the top 24 picks, including No. 1 Eli Willits, are high school shortstops. … Southern Miss’ J.B. Middleton was the 45th overall pick — the second pick of the second round — by Colorado. The right-hander was a 2025 All-America selection and the state’s Ferriss Trophy winner. On MLB Network’s draft coverage, he was described by Tennessee coach Tony Vitello as “the ultimate competitor” and “a truly tough kid,” qualities a player would need to pitch at Colorado’s Coors Field. Vitello said he recruited Middleton out of Benton Academy. … In the third round, East Union High pitcher Landon Harmon, who can throw 99, went to Washington at No. 80 overall; Jake Cook, an unsung speed demon at Southern Miss, was picked at No. 81 by Toronto; and Ole Miss righty Mason Morris went at No. 83 to Cincinnati. … All told, five players from Mississippi schools, all natives of the state, were drafted on Day 1, which covered the first three rounds and 105 picks. … Of note: Milwaukee took with the 20th overall pick Tennessee third baseman Andrew Fischer, who played at Ole Miss in 2024 and hit 20 home runs, then popped 25 for the Vols this season. He could be at Double-A Biloxi in short order.

13 Jul

draft watch

Four players from Mississippi schools were picked on Day 1 in the 2024 MLB draft, two among the first 15 picks. Impressive, but … if MLB Pipeline’s current rankings mean anything, there are five from state schools who could go today when the 2025 draft begins (5 p.m., MLB Network). Rounds 1-3 cover 105 picks, including supplementals. MLB Pipeline has five state products ranked in the top 98. Purvis High’s JoJo Parker is the No. 9 prospect, Southern Miss’ J.B. Middleton No. 41, East Union High’s Landon Harmon No. 48, Lewisburg High’s Talon Haley No. 91 and Ole Miss’ Luke Hill No. 98. … The most intrigue surrounds Parker and how high he might go. A lefty-hitting shortstop and the state’s Gatorade player of the year, he is a consensus first-round talent, buoyed mainly by his hit tool. Baseball America has him at No. 10. Middleton rode a sinker/slider combo to a 10-1 record, first-team All-America recognition and the state’s Ferriss Trophy. MLB Pipeline notes that Middleton could become the highest-drafted pitcher from USM; Brandon Parker went 55th overall in 1997. Harmon, dominant in high school, goes 6 feet 5 and throws 99. Haley, a lefty and a Vanderbilt commit, has overcome cancer and arm surgeries; he had an 0.55 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 38 innings this season, per MaxPreps. Hill, an infielder and second-team All-SEC pick this season, hit .336 with eight homers and 18 steals. … Four other state players are ranked in the top 122 by MLB Pipeline: USM’s Jake Cook, whose speed turned heads in the MLB Combine; JoJo Parker’s twin Jacob, whose raw power stands out; Ole Miss’ 6-4, 225-pound right-hander Mason Morris; and Mississippi State’s crafty lefty Pico Kohn. (Of note: Former Ole Miss players Liam Doyle, a lefty, and Andrew Fischer, a third baseman, both of whom played at Tennessee this past year, are also regarded as first-round prospects. Doyle is one of the hardest throwers in the draft.) … Last year, Konnor Griffin was the ninth overall pick out of Jackson Prep and Mississippi State’s Jurrangelo Cijntje went 15th. MSU’s Khal Stephen was picked in the second round and Nate Dohm in the third, No. 84 overall. In addition, Braden Montgomery, a Madison Central grad, was picked 12th overall out of Texas A&M. Five players from state schools went in Rounds 4-9 and 21 were drafted overall in 2024. … The Athletic/New York Times singles out Cook and Ole Miss lefty Hunter Elliott as players outside its top 100 who might go higher than expected. P.S. Tens were wild for Mississippians in MLB on Saturday: 10 wins for Garrett Crochet, 10 homers for Matt Wallner and 10 strikeouts for Brandon Woodruff. Crochet, from Ocean Springs, threw a three-hit, nine-strikeout shutout — his first complete game — for his 10th win for surging Boston, which beat Tampa Bay for its ninth straight win. (Props to Mississippi State alum Jake Mangum, who went 0-for-4 but did not punch out for the Rays.) Ex-Southern Miss star Wallner hit his 10th homer — fourth in 14 games — as resurgent Minnesota drilled Pittsburgh 12-4 for its seventh win in nine games. Woodruff, former MSU standout from Wheeler, struck out 10 batters in 4 1/3 innings in just his second start of the year for Milwaukee, which beat Washington 6-5 for its sixth straight victory. … In case you missed it in Saturday’s All-Star Futures game, Griffin went 1-for-2 with an HBP (his right hand reportedly is OK); Montgomery was 0-for-3 with an RBI; and Cijntje, pitching both righty and lefty, struck out two and yielded an infield hit in his one inning.

12 Jul

clearing the bases

Atlanta won a one-run game Friday night — shocking! — but lost in midgame third baseman Austin Riley to “lower abdominal tightness.” The DeSoto Central High alum was listed as day-to-day, per the latest report on mlb.com/braves. He has played in all of the Braves’ 93 games, and they need him in the lineup. Riley was 1-for-2 with an RBI knock in the 6-5 win at St. Louis, continuing his recent surge: .321 with two homers, six RBIs and five runs in his last seven games. He is at .274 with 14 homers and 48 RBIs on the season. … Former Mississippi Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr., who went 3-for-5 on Friday, will not take part in Monday’s Home Run Derby over concerns about his back; Matt Olson takes his spot. … Ex-Ocean Springs High star Garrett Crochet of Boston pulled out of Tuesday’s All-Star Game, replaced on the American roster by Casey Mize. Meanwhile, Biloxi Shuckers alum Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee’s 6-foot-7 rookie sensation (4-1, 2.81 ERA) has been named to the National League squad. … Mississippi products Konnor Griffin (Jackson Prep), Braden Montgomery (Madison Central) and Jurrangelo Cijntje (Mississippi State) will get some national exposure today (3 p.m., MLB Network) in the All-Star Futures Game at Truist Park in Atlanta. Griffin is the No. 13 prospect in the minors, per MLB Pipeline rankings, with Montgomery at No. 32 and Cijntje No. 79. Each is currently playing in High-Class A. The Futures Game has become a big deal. Former Magnolia Heights standout Cooper Pratt, now in Double-A, played in the 2024 game. In previous years current big leaguers Colt Keith, Matt Wallner and Nathaniel Lowe particpated, along with the likes of Hunter Renfroe, Billy Hamilton, Dakota Hudson, Desmond Jennings and Ethan Small. … Dakota Jordan, the former MSU and Jackson Academy star, isn’t going to the ATL, but certainly has the credentials. He hit his 10th homer on Friday and is batting .304 with 70 RBIs and 63 runs in 79 games at Low-A San Jose (San Francisco). … Jackson State alum Robert Tate Jr. started at shortstop and went 1-for-4 with an RBI and Tigers teammate Nkosi Didder struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth inning to get the win as the NL squad beat the AL 7-4 in Friday’s HBCU Swingman Classic. … Arizona activated ex-MSU star Kendall Graveman from the IL; he gave up a run in an inning of work vs. the Los Angeles Angels and now has an 8.68 ERA. … Former Ole Miss slugger Tim Elko was placed on the IL (knee) by the Chicago White Sox; he is batting .145 in 62 MLB at-bats.

11 Jul

whatever happened to …

Dylan DeLucia, the Most Outstanding Player in the 2022 CWS with Ole Miss, is 3-3 with a 3.41 ERA at Double-A Akron in the Cleveland chain. He took a loss against Richmond on Thursday night, allowing four runs in three innings. The right-hander, drafted in 2022, didn’t make his pro debut until last summer. He began 2025 in A-ball.
Tanner Hall, the 2022 Ferriss Trophy winner at Southern Miss, is 3-3 with a 5.26 in 15 starts for High-Class A Cedar Rapids (Minnesota). A fourth-round pick by the Twins in 2023, Hall has been limited by injuries to 34 games in pro ball.
Dakota Hudson, the erstwhile big leaguer and ex-Mississippi State star, is 4-6 with a 7.87 ERA at Triple-A Salt Lake (Los Angeles Angels). ERAs tend to be a little inflated in the Pacific Coast League, but Hudson was banged around for nine runs in five innings on Wednesday. He went 2-12, 6.17, for Colorado in 2024 but has a career ERA of 4.21 (with 40 wins) in the big leagues.
Taylor Broadway, the closer for the 2021 Ole Miss team, has 4.30 ERA and a 3-1 mark over 20 games for Cleburne in the independent American Association. He pitched three seasons in affiliated ball (Chicago White Sox and Boston systems) but sat out 2024.
Ethan Small, the former first-rounder out of MSU, has been on the injured list (oblique) all season at Triple-A Sacramento (San Francisco). The left-hander, who has four MLB appearances on his ledger, made just 14 minor league appearances in 2024. He has a career 3.22 ERA in the minors.
James McArthur, the former Ole Miss standout, has been on the IL all season (elbow) with Kansas City. The seven-year pro, 28, was the Royals’ closer late in 2023 and early last season before losing that role. He has a 4.84 ERA and 22 saves in 75 career MLB games.
P.S. MSU alum Jordan Westburg reached double-digits in home runs on Thursday with his 10th for Baltimore. He has three homers in his last five games. … Ex-Bulldogs star Brent Rooker, announced Thursday as a participant in next week’s Home Run Derby, banged out two doubles (Nos. 20 and 21) and scored twice, including the game-winner as the A’s beat Atlanta 5-4 in 11 innings.