These baseball players with Mississippi ties are making a run at going pro.
Written by Eugene Stockstill and Emily Welly | Photographed by Joe Worthem
More than 20 baseball players from Mississippi schools were selected in the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft in July. While back-to-back national champs Mississippi State and Ole Miss produced more than half of the drafted players, Southern Miss (which also had an outstanding 2022 season — its sixth in a row with more than 40 wins) saw five from its roster drafted. Two high school seniors, a community college prospect and a pitcher from William Carey University round out the list. After starting as rookies in the minor leagues, each of these players will work their way through the system in hopes of a major league debut.
Justin Bench [CF] Ole Miss | San Francisco Giants
Emaarion Boyd [OF] South Panola Hs | Philadelphia Phillies
Spence Coffman [SS] Tishomingo County Hs | San Diego Padres
Ke’shun Collier [OF] Meridian Community College | Chicago Cubs
Brad Cumbest [RF] Mississippi State | Colorado Rockies
Dylan Delucia [P] Ole Miss | Cleveland Guardians
Derek Diamond [P] Ole Miss | Pittsburgh Pirates
Hayden Dunhurst [C] Ole Miss | Kansas City Royals
Tim Elko [3B] Ole Miss | Chicago White Sox
Ben Ethridge [P] Southern Miss | Minnesota Twins
Jackson Fristoe [P] Mississippi State | New York Yankees
Kevin Graham [LF] Ole Miss | Arizona Diamondbacks
Landon Harper [P] Southern Miss | Atlanta Braves
Kamren James [3B] Mississippi State | Tampa Bay Rays
Brandon Johnson [P] Ole Miss | Kansas City Royals
Preston Johnson [P] Mississippi State | Baltimore Orioles
Garrett Ramsey [P] Southern Miss | Boston Red Sox
Dalton Rogers [P] Southern Miss | Boston Red Sox
Landon Sims [P] Mississippi State | Arizona Diamondbacks
Tyler Stuart [P] Southern Miss | New York Mets
Logan Tanner [C] Mississippi State | Cincinnati Reds
Chris Williams Jr. [P] William Carey University | Detroit Tigers
*This list is current as of the time this magazine went to press. K.C. Hunt (P-Mississippi State) was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates but did not sign, opting to return to MSU this year.