15 May

feeling a draft

The college season is winding down, which can only mean the MLB draft is sneaking up on us. It starts June 5 with the first round. No Mississippians are projected to go in that big-money round in Baseball America’s latest rankings, but things can change and often do. Columbia High shortstop Ti’Quan Forbes remains the top-rated Mississippi prospect, checking in at No. 55. Harrison Central first baseman Bobby Bradley is also on the BA list at No. 84. Two Mississippi college players are rated in the top 100: Ole Miss right-hander Chris Ellis (69) and Mississippi State lefty Jacob Lindgren (89). Last year’s top pick from the state was State’s Hunter Renfroe, 13th overall by San Diego. He is now at high Class A Lake Elsinore and hitting .255 with seven homers, 27 RBIs and eight stolen bases. East Central Community College product Tim Anderson also went in the first round last June, 17th to the Chicago White Sox. He is batting .243 with six RBIs, 17 runs and five steals at high-A Winston-Salem. P.S. Cody Satterwhite, a second-round pick by Detroit out of Ole Miss way back in 2008, is making a nice comeback in the New York Mets’ system. Playing at Double-A Binghamton, right-hander Satterwhite has a 0.89 ERA in 13 appearances. Now 27, Satterwhite has soldiered through injuries and surgeries and a tour of independent ball to get this second chance at making the majors. “The whole process, it’s helped me in the long run,” he told ESPN New York in a recent story.

17 Mar

going strong

Millsaps College swept a doubleheader at Centre over the weekend — the third game was rained out on Sunday — to climb to 12-7 overall and 3-2 in the Southern Athletic Association. While the team’s season has been defined by fits and spurts, sophomore outfielder Isaac Glenn has been a steady force. The former Madison Central High two-sport star (baseball/football) is batting .426 with eight doubles, 11 RBIs, 13 runs and five stolen bases. Glenn plays center field and usually hits third for the Majors. As a freshman, he batted .299 with 20 RBIs and 28 runs in 30 games. The Majors are at home on Tuesday for a non-conference game against Huntingdon. … Jones County Junior College, the No. 1 team in NJCAA Division II, opened its MACJC South Division schedule with a doubleheader sweep at Pearl River on Saturday. JCJC coach Christian Ostrander notched his 199th and 200th career wins. The Bobcats are 21-1 heading into a South twinbill on Tuesday at East Central, the defending state champion. PRCC, which started 11-3, has dropped eight in a row and is 0-4 in the division. … Ti’Quan Forbes, the highly rated draft prospect at Columbia High, is hitting .389 with two homers and 12 RBIs in 11 games. Columbia is 8-3.

13 Jan

a name to remember

High school players from Mississippi who go directly to pro ball tend to have a tough time with the transition. (Yes, Billy Hamilton looks like an exception to that rule.) But don’t be surprised if a major league club rolls the dice come draft time on Ti’Quan Forbes, the standout shortstop from Columbia High. Forbes, a 6-foot-4, 175-pound right-handed hitter, could be a first-round pick in June, quite possibly the first Mississippian (prep or college) to be selected. Forbes is showing up on a number of draft prospect lists; Baseball America has him at No. 39 on its most recent Top 50. Forbes batted .391 with six home runs, 39 RBIs and 10 steals in 2013. His is a name to remember.