D1Baseball Tabs MacLeod Preseason All-American
January 25, 2021 | Baseball
Left-hander ranks among the top 40 MLB draft prospects entering the 2021 season
STARKVILLE – As the 2021 season nears, D1Baseball announced that left-handed pitcher Christian MacLeod was among the publication's preseason All-America teams.
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D1Basseball designates MacLeod as a third-team All-American, as did Perfect Game earlier this offseason. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper listed the Huntsville, Alabama, native among its preseason All-Americans, placing him on the second team.
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Along with the preseason accolades, MacLeod has also earned recognition heading into the season as one of the top college prospects in the game. The third-year student-athlete is among the top 40 prospects for the upcoming MLB Draft according to Baseball America (No. 23), MLB Pipeline (No. 40) and D1Baseball (No. 26).
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MacLeod became the first Mississippi State freshman to earn an All-America nod since Jake Mangum in 2016 and led all Power 5 freshman in victories. He tied for the most strikeouts among Power 5 freshmen in 2020 and ranked among the top 50 nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (25th; 3.86), WHIP (32nd; 0.71) and ERA (41st; 0.86).
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MacLeod had an impressive collegiate debut with 11 strikeouts on February 15 versus Wright State, marking the most strikeouts in a freshman collegiate debut in MSU history. A 12-strikeout effort versus Quinnipiac made him the only freshman in the NCAA with multiple double-digit strikeout games in 2020. His two double-digit strikeout games equal Paul Maholm (2001) and Eric DuBose (1995) for the most by a rookie in MSU history.
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MacLeod and the Diamond Dawgs will open the season against Texas on Friday, Feb. 19 at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, as a part of the State Farm College Baseball Showdown. Ranked among the top 10 team in the country according to multiple outlets, State will also face TCU and Texas Tech, with each of its opponents ranked among the top 15 nationally.
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D1Basseball designates MacLeod as a third-team All-American, as did Perfect Game earlier this offseason. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper listed the Huntsville, Alabama, native among its preseason All-Americans, placing him on the second team.
Â
Along with the preseason accolades, MacLeod has also earned recognition heading into the season as one of the top college prospects in the game. The third-year student-athlete is among the top 40 prospects for the upcoming MLB Draft according to Baseball America (No. 23), MLB Pipeline (No. 40) and D1Baseball (No. 26).
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MacLeod became the first Mississippi State freshman to earn an All-America nod since Jake Mangum in 2016 and led all Power 5 freshman in victories. He tied for the most strikeouts among Power 5 freshmen in 2020 and ranked among the top 50 nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (25th; 3.86), WHIP (32nd; 0.71) and ERA (41st; 0.86).
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MacLeod had an impressive collegiate debut with 11 strikeouts on February 15 versus Wright State, marking the most strikeouts in a freshman collegiate debut in MSU history. A 12-strikeout effort versus Quinnipiac made him the only freshman in the NCAA with multiple double-digit strikeout games in 2020. His two double-digit strikeout games equal Paul Maholm (2001) and Eric DuBose (1995) for the most by a rookie in MSU history.
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MacLeod and the Diamond Dawgs will open the season against Texas on Friday, Feb. 19 at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, as a part of the State Farm College Baseball Showdown. Ranked among the top 10 team in the country according to multiple outlets, State will also face TCU and Texas Tech, with each of its opponents ranked among the top 15 nationally.
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