Four Diamond Dogs Sign Pro Baseball Contracts

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Four members of Mississippi State University's 2003 baseball team selected in last week's Major League Baseball Draft have signed professional baseball contracts. Set to embark on their careers in professional baseball are senior pitcher Jacob Blakeney of Magee, Miss., junior first baseman Matthew Brinson of Brandon, Miss., senior shortstop Matthew Maniscalco of Oxford, Ala., and junior pitcher Jonathan Papelbon of Jacksonville, Fla.

Blakeney, a 22nd-round pick of the Atlanta Braves, has signed with Atlanta and has been assigned to the Danville (Va.) Braves in the Appalachian League. Blakeney capped a two-year career at MSU posting a 3-0 record with a 4.50 earned run average in 2003.

Brinson, a three-year starter at first base for the Bulldogs, reached agreement with Colorado Rockies, who drafted him in the 13th round. Following a training camp in Tucson, Ariz., Brinson will begin his professional baseball career in the Northwest League with the Tri-City Dirt Devils in Pasco, Wash. Brinson hit .311 and led Mississippi State with eight home runs and 49 RBI in the recently-concluded season.

Maniscalco, who started all 246 career games at shortstop consecutively in four seasons at MSU, has signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Selected by Tampa Bay in the eighth round, the second-team All-SEC selection hit a career-best .338, leading the team with 94 hits and 20 stolen bases and ranking second with 15 doubles, seven home runs and 42 RBI. He will begin his pro career in the New York-Penn League with the Hudson Valley Renegades in Wappingers Falls, N.Y.

Papelbon, taken in the fourth round by the Boston Red Sox, will also launch his pro baseball career in the New York-Penn League, pitching for the Lowell (Mass.) Spinners. The hard-throwing righthander compiled a 6-2 record with a 2.28 earned run average in 25 relief appearances, leading the MSU staff with seven saves. He concludes his collegiate career with 13 career saves, seventh-most at Mississippi State.

A school-record eight MSU players were selected in this year's MLB First-Year Player Draft conducted last week.

MSU PLAYERS IN THE 2003 MAJOR LEAGUE DRAFT
LHP-Paul Maholm (1st round, 8th pick -- Pittsburgh)
RHP-Jonathan Papelbon (4th round, 114th pick -- Boston -- signed)
SS-Matthew Manisalco (8th round, 218th pick -- Tampa Bay -- signed)
1B-Matthew Brinson (13th round, 377th pick -- Colorado -- signed)
3B-Steve Gendron (14th round, 401st pick -- San Diego)
LHP-Todd Nicholas (21st round, 621st pick -- Cincinnati)
RHP-Jacob Blakeney (22nd round, 667th pick -- Atlanta -- signed)
OF-Jon Mungle (23rd round, 669th pick -- Milwaukee)

Mississippi State University Athletics

Four Diamond Dogs Sign Pro Baseball Contracts