Tatum Inks With Reds; Gendron, Lacher Nearing Agreement With Florida Marlins
May 25, 2016 | Baseball
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- One of the six Mississippi State baseball players selected in this week's MLB First-Year Player Draft has signed a pro contract and two others have agreed to terms and anticipate signing contracts this weekend.
Catcher Craig Tatum of Hattiesburg, Miss., selected by Cincinnati in the third round of this year's draft, has signed with the Reds, while a pair of Florida Marlins draftees, shortstop Steve Gendron of Tampa, Fla., and pitcher Jeff Lacher of Hattiesburg, Miss., will finalize their professional baseball contracts this weekend.
Tatum, a second-team All-SEC selection, reports to Billings, Mont., Tuesday where he'll begin his career in professional baseball with the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League. Tatum, a semifinalist for the 2004 Johnny Bench Ward, hit .325 with 16 doubles, 13 home runs and a team-leading 60 RBI. He also threw out 19 base stealers and picked off another eight runners on base.
Gendron, a 13th round draft pick of the Florida Marlins, is expected to report next week to the Jamestown (N.Y.) Jammers of the New York-Penn League. Lacher, taken by Florida in the 24th round, is expected to begin his professional baseball career in the Gulf Coast League in Jupiter, Fla.
Gendron finished third at MSU and eighth in the SEC with 316 career hits, while Lacher, who appeared in 48 games in four seasons at MSU, concluded his career with a 15-6 record and 3.96 earned run average.
