Tag Archives: Rays

03 Apr

powering up

The chase is real for Hunter Hines, who has powered his way to within six home runs of Mississippi State’s exalted career record. Rafael Palmeiro — a member of MLB’s 500-homer club — hit 67 bombs at State from 1983-85, including a single-season record 29 (shared with Bruce Castoria) in 1984. Hines, a Madison Central High product now in his fourth year in Starkville, hit his 61st homer on Tuesday at Memphis, tying Will Clark for second on the career list. You’re in rare air when you’re being mentioned with the legendary Thunder and Lightning. Hines has seven homers this season. A lefty hitter who goes 6 feet 3, 210 pounds, Hines averaged 18 homers in his first three MSU seasons, and there’s a lot of 2025 left, assuming he stays healthy. His power seems legit; he led the Cape Cod League — a wood bat league — with 13 homers in 41 games in 2023. He was listed on some MLB draft prospect charts last year but didn’t get called. So he returned to Starkville, where he was a freshman All-America pick in 2022, All-SEC in 2023 and is now in hot pursuit of a record that will cement his legacy as one of the Bulldogs’ greats. Of note: Hines’ father, Richey, is the career homer leader at NCAA Division II Mississippi College with 57. The overall state homer record is believed to be 69, set by D-II Delta State’s Dee Haynes (1998-2000). P.S. MSU alum and Tampa Bay rookie Jake Mangum got another hit Wednesday, one of just three allowed by Paul Skeenes in Pittsburgh’s 4-2 victory. Mangum now has eight MLB hits, which puts him 900 behind fellow former Bulldogs hit king and good friend Adam Frazier, who had two knocks for the Pirates and drove in their first run. Of course, Mangum topped Frazier by a wide margin on MSU’s career hits list: 383 to 224. … Garrett Crochet, the ex-Ocean Springs High star who just a got a huge contract extension from Boston, threw a career-high eight innings with eight strikeouts as the Red Sox blanked Baltimore 3-0. Crochet, a converted reliever, said he last threw eight innings in the first game of his freshman year at Tennessee in 2018. … Former MC standout Blaine Crim hit a walk-off three-run homer for Triple-A Round Rock, completing a game in which he also had a triple, a single and a walk. Crim, 27, is in his sixth season in Texas’ system and carries a .296 average with 104 homers.

01 Apr

on the docket

This promises to be a terrific Tuesday. Among the numerous compelling matchups is Game 2 of the Maloney Trophy Series, with Millsaps College visiting Belhaven University at Trustmark Park in Pearl. The Majors won the first game and can clinch the trophy with a victory. Both of these NCAA Division III teams are good: Millsaps is 19-7, Belhaven 17-9. The Blazers are 13-3 at Trustmark. … In Oxford, Ole Miss, 21-6 and ranked 10th by Baseball America, hosts Jackson State, which is 16-10 but likely doesn’t have the pitching depth (5.65 ERA) to subdue the Rebels’ bats. The Tigers lost to Mississippi State 16-3 two weeks ago. … Southern Miss (20-8, ranked 24th by BA) plays host to old rival Tulane in Hattiesburg. Going back to 2005, the Golden Eagles lead the series 26-23. USM is coming off a gritty Sun Belt series win over South Alabama, while the Green Wave (17-11) was just swept by AAC rival South Florida. … Mississippi State, reeling from a sweep at LSU, visits Memphis, reeling from an eight-game losing streak. The Bulldogs are 16-12. Memphis — coached by Mississippi native Matt Riser and listing numerous state prep products on its roster — is 11-16, including a loss to Ole Miss. … In the junior colleges: No. 2-ranked Pearl River Community College (29-5, 9-1 MACCC) might be tested in a trip to Meridian CC, which has been ranked this season and sits at 21-13, 8-4. Of note: PRCC will play an exhibition game Wednesday against the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers at Keesler Federal Park in Biloxi. East Central CC (27-7, 9-3), ranked fourth in NJCAA Division II, visits Hinds on Tuesday, and No. 8 Jones College (23-8, 9-3) hosts Copiah Lincoln. … In the big leagues, former Jackson Prep star Will Warren will make his 2025 debut for the New York Yankees, starting against Arizona at Yankee Stadium. At West Sacramento, new home of the A’s, George County High product Justin Steele (1-1, 8.00 ERA) will pitch for the Chicago Cubs against the A’s and ex-MSU slugger Brent Rooker. P.S. Jake Mangum (see previous posts) delivered a 4-for-4 performance — three singles and a double — in his second big league game, driving in two runs, scoring one and stealing two bases in Tampa Bay’s 6-1 win Monday night against Colorado. Ex-Mississippi State star Mangum even had two hits from both sides of the plate. “I can’t wrap my head around it still,” the 29-year-old rookie, already a fan favorite in Tampa, said in an mlb.com story. … Ex-Ocean Springs High standout Garrett Crochet has received a 6-year, $170 million extension from Boston. The 25-year-old lefty, acquired from the White Sox in an off-season trade, has a 3.29 ERA in 105 MLB games, 33 as a starter the last two years. He was an All-Star in 2024.

31 Mar

checking in …

Jake Mangum finally got his name in a major league box score on Sunday, joining the long list of Mississippi natives — and Mississippi State alumni — to make The Show. Barely a minute into the game, the Flowood native and Jackson Prep grad caught a fly ball in right field for the first out of Tampa Bay’s 6-4 victory over Colorado. Mangum was with his Triple-A Durham team in Virginia on Friday when he was told he had gotten “the call,” six years after he was drafted into pro ball. “Heartbeat went up a lot,” he said. He scrambled to get to Tampa on Saturday and completed his long journey on Sunday when he ran out onto Steinbrenner Field in a big league unie. A rookie at 29. Now another quest remains: the first big league hit. He went 0-for-3 in his MLB debut, driving a ball deep to left field in his first at-bat. He struck out in his second, flied out to center in his third and walked in his final plate appearance. He might get another chance today when the Rays host Pittsburgh. Mangum has had a ton of hits over the years: 383 of them at State, another 78 in summer leagues, then 496 in the minors. After all the work he’s put in and all the waiting he’s done since his first pro game in 2019, it’s hard to imagine what that first major league hit will feel like. P.S. A major league opportunity is a cherished thing, never taken for granted. Justin Foscue, a teammate of Mangum’s at MSU, is no doubt itching for another shot with the Texas Rangers. They needed an infielder on Sunday but recalled another player from Triple-A Round Rock, where Foscue is now playing. He made his MLB debut last April and got a hit in his second game before going on the injured list. He got a couple more call-ups over the year but managed only one more knock in 42 at-bats all told, finishing on an 0-for-39 skid. The 2020 first-round draftee is a .278 career hitter — with power — in the minors and is off to a 4-for-11 start in 2025.

29 Mar

debut watch

Jake Mangum was recalled by Tampa Bay today, opening the door for the ex-Mississippi State star to make his long-awaited big league debut. The Rays’ lineup for today’s home game against Colorado has not been posted. Mangum, 29, a Flowood native, has been in pro ball since 2019 when he was drafted by the New York Mets and spent most of the last three seasons at the Triple-A level. A switch-hitter and outstanding defensive outfielder, he has a .296 career average in 432 games in the minors and was the SEC’s all-time hits leader when he left Starkville. He was optioned out from spring camp to Triple-A Durham last week but recalled today when the Rays put outfielder Josh Lowe on the injured list.

20 Mar

roster reality bites

The wait will continue for Jake Mangum, the ex-Mississippi State star who was optioned to Triple-A by the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. Mangum, 29, in pro ball since 2019 but yet to make his MLB debut, batted .429 with two homers and nine RBIs this spring. “The disappointment of not making the club is real, and it should be real for them because of the type of camp they had,” Rays manager Kevin Cash told mlb.com, referring to Mangum and fellow outfielder Kameron Misner. Tampa Bay is the third organization Mangum has played for, and this is his first spring on a 40-man roster. “Just going to keep going. I think one day it will happen,” Mangum told Rays Beat last week. Flowood native Mangum, who left MSU as the all-time hits leader in the SEC, is a .296 career hitter in the minors. … Also sent down by the Rays on a day when the MLB transactions page was humming was Ole Miss alum Jacob Waguespack, 31, who has a 5.11 ERA in 31 big league appearances spread over three seasons (2019, ’20 and ’24). All told, nine Mississippi products on 40-man rosters have been optioned out so far. … On the minor league level, ex-Southern Miss pitchers Hunter Stanley (Cleveland), Walker Powell (Chicago Cubs) and Billy Oldham (Minnesota) landed on the injured list to start 2025, as did Ole Miss products Jack Dougherty (Minnesota) and Cole Tolbert (Boston). Tolbert apparently will miss the entire season. P.S. Tim Anderson, the former MLB All-Star out of East Central Community College, apparently will make the Los Angeles Angels’ 26-man club as a non-roster spring invitee. Anderson, working at second base, shortstop and center field this spring, is batting .267 in the Cactus League. A .278 career hitter, he was released by Miami last summer with a .214 average. … Tampa Bay recently signed MSU alum Hunter Stovall as a minor leaguer. He batted .277 over six seasons in the Colorado system before becoming a free agent last fall.

13 Mar

breaking out

The Spring Breakout games, featuring most of the best minor league talent, begin today with Boston’s squad taking on Tampa Bay (MLB Network, 6:05 p.m.). On the Red Sox’s roster is former DeSoto Central High star Blaze Jordan, while the Rays’ roster includes Mississippi State product Colton Ledbetter. The games, 16 all told, will run through Sunday. Among the Mississippians who could be featured are Konnor Griffin (Pittsburgh), Braden Montgomery (Chicago White Sox), Tim Elko (White Sox), Cooper Pratt (Milwaukee), Dakota Jordan (San Francisco), Jurrangelo Cijntje (Seattle) and Tanner Hall (Minnesota). MLB Pipeline has pegged David Mershon, former All-SEC shortstop out of MSU, as a sleeper prospect on the Los Angeles Angels team. Though not ranked among the Angels’ Top 30, the 5-foot-7, 175-pound Mershon’s star appears to be ascending. From mlb.com: “He’s a switch-hitter with on-base skills and speed who can play excellent infield defense.” Drafted in the 18th round last summer after two years at State (.347, 27 steals last year), the South Carolina native went straight to Double-A and hit .254. The Angels then sent him to the Arizona Fall League, another high-talent loop, and Mershon batted .263 there. Invited to big league camp, he is 3-for-14 in A-games. The Angels’ Spring Breakout game is slated for Saturday (MLBN, 8:05 p.m.) against the Cubs. P.S. Justin Foscue, another former MSU infielder, was optioned to Triple-A by Texas on Wednesday. Foscue, batting .235 in big league games this spring, made his MLB debut in 2024 but hit just .048 (2-for-42). The 14th overall pick in the 2020 draft, he has a .278 career average in the minors with 60 homers. … MSU alum Kendall Graveman, recently signed by Arizona as a free agent, has not pitched this spring because of a reported back issue. He missed all of the 2024 season following shoulder surgery.

04 Mar

one fine day

Making a strong bid for a role on the New York Yankees’ pitching staff come opening day, Will Warren threw three strong innings against Philadelphia today in the Grapefruit League. The former Jackson Prep star allowed one run with four strikeouts — Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner — and now has an ERA of 1.13 over eight innings. The Yankees’ No. 5 prospect, right-hander Warren apparently has enhanced his repertoire from last season, when he endured a wobbly six-game MLB debut. “Getting ahead is the biggest thing,” Warren recently told mlb.com. “Looking back at some stuff last year, I was always fighting back (in the count).” He is 25-18 with a 4.31 ERA over three minor league seasons after being an eighth-round pick out of Southeastern Louisiana in 2021. … Ex-Southern Miss standout Matthew Etzel, in Tampa Bay’s camp as a non-roster invitee, put on a show today, banging out a double and a home run with three RBIs in the Rays’ 4-1 win against Detroit. Etzel, a 10th-round pick in 2023 by Baltimore, is 3-for-16 this spring. He reached Double-A last season, when he was traded from the Orioles to Tampa. Overall in 2024, the 6-foot-2, 211-pound outfielder belted 11 homers and stole 45 bases. Jake Mangum, another ex-Prep star and Mississippi State alum who is battling for an opening day roster spot with the Rays, went 1-for-2 with a double, a walk and a sac bunt. The 28-year-old outfielder is 4-for-10 in Grapefruit games. … In that same game today in Clearwater, Fla., Biloxi High product Colt Keith was 1-for-3 with a run for Detroit and is batting .375 in 16 spring at-bats. He hit .260 with 13 homers and 61 RBIs as a rookie for the Tigers last year.

31 Jan

a growing list

Coming off an outstanding first full season in pro ball, Matthew Etzel is the latest Mississippian in the minors to get an invitation to major league spring training. The former Southern Miss star will go camping next month with Tampa Bay, which acquired the 22-year-old outfielder in a trade with Baltimore last summer. Etzel, drafted out of USM in 2023 by the Orioles, batted .272 with 11 homers, 66 RBIs, eight triples and 45 stolen bases in 2024, playing for three different teams. He finished the season at Double-A Montgomery. He joins a growing list of non-roster invitees with state ties:
Tim Anderson (East Central CC), Los Angeles Angels;
Gavin Collins (Mississippi State), St. Louis;
Blaine Crim (Mississippi College), Texas;
Tim Elko (Ole Miss), Chicago White Sox;
Matthew Etzel (USM), Tampa Bay;
Jacob Gonzalez (UM), Chicago White Sox;
Dakota Hudson (MSU), Los Angeles Angels;
Cooper Johnson (UM), Texas;
Braden Montgomery (Madison Central), Chicago White Sox;
Konnor Pilkington (MSU), Washington;
Drew Pomeranz (UM), Seattle;
Cooper Pratt (Magnolia Heights), Milwaukee;
Ethan Small (MSU), San Francisco;
Tyler Stuart (USM), Washington;
R.J. Yeager (MSU), St. Louis.
P.S. The Mississippi Mud Monsters have hired Robert Carson III, former Hattiesburg High standout and ex-big leaguer, as their pitching coach. Carson pitched in 31 games for the New York Mets in 2012-13 and spent seven seasons in independent leagues, most recently in 2021. He been an indy league pitching coach the last three years. The independent Mud Monsters will start their inaugural season in the Frontier League in May at Trustmark Park in Pearl. The “Mud-sters” have announced three signees to date, none of them pitchers.

20 Nov

mlb roster moves

A handful of Mississippi college products were added to major league 40-man rosters on Tuesday, most notably former Mississippi State star Jake Mangum, who has toiled in Triple-A the past three years with three different organizations. Outfielder Mangum, a .296 hitter over his five minor league seasons, was selected by Tampa Bay. (The Rays traded starting center fielder Jose Siri to the New York Mets for a pitcher on Tuesday.) MSU product Eric Cerantola made Kansas City’s 40-man protected roster and ex-Ole Miss stars Gunnar Hoglund and Doug Nikhazy were added by Oakland and Cleveland, respectively. All three are pitchers who reached the Triple-A level this season. They’ll go to big league camp next spring, seeking to make the active roster for the 2025 season. … Atlanta added 2024 Mississippi Braves pitcher Rolddy Munoz and Milwaukee selected Logan Henderson, who pitched in Biloxi this past season. (As noted by mlb.com: Players signed at age 18 or younger must be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process. Players signed at 19 or older have to be protected within four seasons. The Rule 5 draft is next month.) P.S. A total of 26 Mississippians (native or school alum) appeared in major league games in 2024, with J.T. Ginn, Will Warren, Hurston Waldrep, Justin Foscue and Colt Keith making their MLB debuts. Keith, a Biloxi High alum who played for Detroit this year, was a Silver Slugger finalist at second base.

06 Sep

highlight refresh

The game-winning bomb he hit against Ole Miss back in May no doubt still occupies the top spot on Connor Hujsak’s career highlights page. But his performance on Thursday night in pro ball was pretty special, too. The Mississippi State alum hit three home runs for Low-Class A Charleston in the Tampa Bay system. A 13th-round draft pick in July, Hujsak is batting .297 with four homers and 21 RBIs in 19 games for Charleston this season. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound outfielder hit .325 with nine homers for MSU this season, his second in Starkville. His walk-off two-run shot against Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament elimination game is one Bulldogs fans won’t soon forget. … Interestingly enough, the Rays have three other Mississippi college products in their minor league chain: Jake Mangum (MSU) in Triple-A, Matthew Etzel (Southern Miss) in Double-A and Colton Ledbetter (MSU) in High-A. Mangum leads the International League in hitting, while Etzel (No. 25) and Ledbetter (No. 22) are among Tampa Bay’s Top 30 prospects. P.S. In the big leagues, ex-State star Brent Rooker hit two homers for Oakland, his fourth multi-homer game of the season giving him 35 all told. The single-season homer record for Mississippians (native or school alum) in MLB is 47, which former Bulldogs star Rafael Palmeiro reached twice (1999 and 2001). … Tyreque Reed, the Houlka native who played at Itawamba Community College, led the independent Frontier League in hitting this year with a .341 average. The veteran pro hit 12 homers and drove in 52 runs for Washington, which finished with the best record in the league at 67-28. The playoffs began Thursday.