Arizona State established a draft record in 2008 by having 15 players selected—the most from one college in the baseball draft’s 44-year history. It’s unlikely that any school will touch that mark this season, but Mississippi may be the one school that is best positioned to challenge the mark.
PG Crosschecker is in the process of unveiling state-by-state follow lists in the 2009 draft class, and we’ve identified 17 players on the Ole Miss roster who are potential draft picks in June. No other college has as much depth in the current year’s draft class—and the list doesn’t even address the potential impact of sophomore lefthander Drew Pomeranz, the team’s best prospect and projected Friday starter. Pomeranz will rank No. 1 on the state of Mississippi’s 2010 follow list, which we’ll release shortly.
Though the Rebels went just 39-26 in 2008 and lost six players to the draft, including supplemental first-rounder Lance Lynn and second-rounder Cory Satterwhite, their sheer depth of talent may push them over the top in their ongoing quest to return to Omaha. It has been 37 years since Ole Miss last appeared in the College World Series.
The Rebels hopes for 2009 got an unexpected boost when righthander Scott Bittle, who went 7-1, 1.78 with 130 strikeouts and only 35 hits allowed in 71 innings as the nation’s most dominant closer a year ago, returned to school for his senior season.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Bittle was selected in the second round of last year’s draft by the New York Yankees, but the Yankees elected not to sign him when they became uncomfortable with the results of a post-draft MRI on his shoulder. Bittle, whose best pitch is a nasty, low-90s cut fastball, will return to his familiar closer’s role. He saved eight games for the Rebels in 2008 after beginning the year as a starter.
Ole Miss won’t rely on Bittle alone as four other players on the Rebels roster were drafted in 2008, and are eligible for selection again in June. The most notable of those players is righthander Aaron Barrett, a 20th-round pick of the Minnesota Twins out of an Illinois junior college. Barrett will join Pomeranz at the top of the Rebels rotation. Both pitchers topped out at 94 mph this fall.
To accompany the release of our 2009, 2010 and 2011 state-by-state follow lists, we’re taking an in-depth look at the talent level in a handful of states. Today’s focus is Mississippi. Just like last year, when Ole Miss produced nine of the 26 draft picks that came from Mississippi colleges (20), junior colleges (1) and high schools (5), the Rebels are also expected to dominate this year’s draft.
Five of the state’s first 10 picks in 2008 (see below) came from Ole Miss, and the accompanying list of the top 10 prospects in 2009 in Mississippi also includes five Rebels players.
Like last year, the most intriguing selection in the state is likely to be the state’s No. 1 high school prospect—South Panola High righthander David Renfroe, an Ole Miss signee who has been clocked up to 92 mph. He is the son of ex-Rebels righthander Laddie Renfroe, a two-time all-Southeastern Conference pitcher in the early 80s, and his ties to the Ole Miss program could make it difficult for a big league club to pry him away from college.
In 2008, lefthander T.J. House (Picayune Memorial High) was the top-ranked prep prospect in the state. His commitment to Tulane scared off clubs from drafting him in the top 2-3 rounds, but the Cleveland Indians took a flier on him in the 16th round and signed him at the Aug. 15 signing deadline to a bonus of $750,000—second only among Mississippi draft picks to the $938,000 bonus that Lynn agreed to.
Here is how PG Crosschecker stacks up the top 10 prospects from Mississippi on the eve of the 2009 season.
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
Projected Round |
| 1. |
Scott Bittle |
RHP |
U. of Mississippi |
Texarkana, Texas |
2nd |
| 2. |
David Renfroe |
RHP |
South Panola HS |
Batesville |
2nd |
| 3. |
Jordan Henry |
OF |
U. of Mississippi |
Vicksburg |
2nd-4th |
| 4. |
Aaron Barrett |
RHP |
U. of Mississippi |
Evansville, Ind. |
3rd-4th |
| 5. |
Billy Hamilton |
SS |
Taylorsville HS |
Taylorsville |
3rd-6th |
| 6. |
Ricky Bowen |
RHP |
Mississippi State U. |
Jasper, Ala. |
5th-8th |
| 7. |
Matt Smith |
1B |
U. of Mississippi |
Milan, Ga. |
5th-8th |
| 8. |
Connor Powers |
3B/1B |
Mississippi State U. |
Naperville, Ill. |
5th-8th |
| 9. |
Clint Dempster |
LHP/OF |
Mississippi Gulf Coast JC |
Thibodeaux, La. |
6th-10th |
| 10. |
Nathan Baker |
LHP |
U. of Mississippi |
Cordova, Tenn. |
6th-10th |
MISSISSIPPI: Draft Class of 2008
Top 10 Selections
| Rank |
Player |
Pos. |
Yr. |
School |
Hometown |
Drafted by (Round) |
Bonus |
| 1. |
Lance Lynn |
RHP |
Jr. |
U. of Mississippi |
Brownsburg, Ind. |
Cardinals (1-S) |
$938,000 |
| 2. |
Cody Satterwhite |
RHP |
Jr. |
U. of Mississippi |
Jackson |
Tigers (2) |
$606,000 |
| 3. |
Scott Bittle |
RHP |
Jr. |
U. of Mississippi |
Texarkana, Texas |
Yankees (2) |
Did not sign |
| 4. |
Aaron Weatherford |
RHP |
Jr. |
Mississippi State U. |
Crystal Springs |
Rockies (3) |
$350,000 |
| 5. |
Cody Overbeck |
3B |
Jr. |
U. of Mississippi |
Atoka, Tenn. |
Phillies (9) |
$80,000 |
| 6. |
Rashun Dixon |
C |
Sr. |
Terry HS |
Jackson |
Athletics (10) |
$600,000 |
| 7. |
Brandon Turner |
2B |
So. |
Mississippi State U. |
Cleveland, Tenn. |
Marlins (12) |
$65,000 |
| 8. |
Tyler Conn |
LHP |
Sr. |
Southern Mississippi U. |
Ocean Springs |
Tigers (14) |
$5,000 |
| 9. |
Tyler Moore |
1B |
Jr. |
U. of Mississippi |
Brandon |
Nationals (16) |
$55,000 |
| 10. |
T.J. House |
LHP |
Sr. |
Picayune Memorial HS |
Picayune |
Indians (16) |
$750,000 |
|