Three Diamond Dogs Selected Wednesday In Major League Draft
May 25, 2016 | Baseball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Three members of Mississippi State's 2006 NCAA Clemson Regional team were selected on the second and final day of Major League Baseball's First-Year Player draft.
Senior left-handed pitcher Books Dunn was taken by the San Diego Padres in the 23rd round, senior outfielder Joseph Hunter was tabbed in the 25th round by the Chicago White Sox and junior second baseman Jeffrey Rea was chosen in the 33rd round by the Boston Red Sox.
Dunn, from Birmingham, Ala., posted an 8-6 record with a 4.40 earned run average as a senior, pacing MSU with eight wins, 94.0 innings pitched and 71 strikeouts. He made 62 career appearances, posting an 18-9 record with two saves, a 4.81 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 204-1/3 innings pitched. Dunn was drafted in the 43rd round by the Chicago White Sox in 2005 but opted to return to Mississippi State for his senior season of competition.
Hunter anchored the Bulldog outfield as State's starting center fielder for three seasons. The Germantown, Tenn., product was one of four Bulldogs to start all 58 games in 2006. He compiled a .283 batting average with a career-best 66 hits as a senior, including 11 doubles, a triple and four home runs. Hunter, a 48th-round pick of the Cleveland Indians in the 2005 draft, compiled a .304 career batting average with 136 RBI. His 218 career hits included 31 doubles, seven triples and 12 home runs. He reached base 95 times via walk or as a hit batsman, stole 16 bases and totaled 21 sacrifice flies in 211 career games played.
Rea, a junior from Nettleton, Miss., piled up a team-leading 94 hits while posting a .372 batting average, second-highest in the SEC behind teammate Thomas Berkery. A first-team All-SEC selection, Rea led the Bulldogs with 14 stolen bases and registered a team-high 30 multiple-hit games. The Bulldog second baseman has piled up 251 career hits and a .333 career batting average with 30 stolen bases in 177 career games played.
Senior shortstop Thomas Berkery, a 46th round pick of the Texas Rangers in last year's draft, opted top sign with the Rangers Monday night rather than go through this year's draft.
The lone Mississippi State signee selected in this year's draft was left-handed pitcher Jarred Holloway of Russellville, Ark., taken by Washington in the 49th round.
MSU IN THE 2006 MLB DRAFT
LHP Brooks Dunn --- 23rd round (693rd pick) San Diego Padres
OF Joseph Hunter --- 25th round (765th pick) Chicago White Sox
2B Jeffrey Rea --- 33rd round (1,003rd pick) Boston Red Sox
*LHP Jarred Holloway --- 49th round (1,461st pick) Washington Nationals
* - MSU signee
