Mariners Draft Tyler Whitney; Four More Diamond Dog Signees Selected
STARKVILLE, Miss. - A third member of MSU's 2010 baseball team and four more signees on Mississippi State University's 2009-10 baseball recruiting class had their names called Wednesday during the final day of Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft.
Senior left-hander Tyler Whitney of Lakeland, Tenn., was selected in the 34th round of the pro baseball draft by the Seattle Mariners. The Bulldog lefty drew seven starts in 14 appearances in 2010, compiling a 0-3 record with a 6.66 earned run average. He earned a staff-leading eight wins with 156 strikeouts in 47 career appearances at MSU. He joins two other MSU seniors --- first baseman Connor Powers (San Diego, 21st round) and infielder Jet Butler (New York Mets, 26th round) as pro baseball draftees for 2010.
Shortstop Taylor Stark of Flowood (Northwest Rankin High School), Miss., was chosen in the 42nd round by the Washington Nationals, shortstop Demarcus Henderson of Waynesboro (Waynesboro High School), Miss., was selected in the 43rd round by the Houston Astros, pitcher Daryl Norris of Fairhope (Fairhope High School), Ala., was picked by the Texas Rangers in the 46th round, and outfielder C.T. Bradford of Pace (Pace High School), Fla., was taken in the 48th round by the Cleveland Indians.
A fifth member of the Diamond Dogs' recruiting class, Meridian Community College outfielder Corey Dickerson from Brookhaven, Miss., was an eighth round pick of the Colorado Rockies.
Former Mississippi State pitcher Forrest Moore of Baton Rouge, La., was also selected in this week's draft. The southpaw, who pitched at MSU in 2008 and 2009, was a 38th round draft pick of the Florida Marlins. He was a 32nd round draft selection of the Detroit Tigers in 2007.
Mississippi State Baseball in the 2010 MLB Draft
| Name | Pos. | Cl. | Hometown |
Round |
Pick |
Organization | |
| Connor Powers | 1B | Sr. | Naperville, Ill. | 21st | 634 | San Diego Padres | |
| Jet Butler | SS | Sr. | Pensacola, Fla. | 26th | 782 | New York Mets | |
| Tyler Whitney | LHP | Sr. | Lakeland, Tenn. | 34th | 1,032 | Seattle Mariners | |
| Forrest Moore | LHP | Jr. | Baton Rouge, La. | 38th | 1,157 | Florida Marlins | |
| Taylor Stark | SS | HS | Flowood, Miss. | 42nd | 1,256 | Washington Nationals | |
| Demarcus Henderson | SS | HS | Waynesboro, Miss. | 43rd | 1,293 | Houston Astros | |
| Daryl Norris | RHP | HS | Fairhope, Ala. | 46th | 1,396 | Texas Rangers | |
| C.T. Bradford | OF | HS | Pace, Fla. | 48th | 1,440 | Cleveland Indians | |