NEW ORLEANS – Fifteen Sun Belt student-athletes heard their names called during the 2021 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft.
The tally, compiled over the three-day affair from July 11-13, gives the Sun Belt 795 MLB draft picks all-time.
South Alabama junior outfielder Ethan Wilson (2nd, 49th) was the first Sun Belt student-athlete off the board, as the 49th overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies. Teammate senior outfielder Michael Sandle (10th, 298th) was also a Day 2 selection by the Houston Astros.
Louisiana had a pair of sophomore right-handed pitchers selected on Day 2—Spencer Arrighetti (6th, 178th) and Connor Cooke (10th, 302nd). Arrighetti was picked by the Houston Astros, while Cooke was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Georgia Southern also claimed a pair of Day 2 picks in senior hurlers lefty Nick Jones (8th, 231st), selected by the Los Angeles Angels, and righty Jordan Jackson (10th, 294th), drafted by the Seattle Mariners.
Four other Sun Belt programs had student-athletes selected among the first 10 rounds of the draft—UTA junior right-handed pitcher Carlos Tavera (5th, 137th) by the Baltimore Orioles, Coastal Carolina redshirt junior outfielder Parker Chavers (7th, 214th) by the Chicago Cubs, Arkansas State junior catcher and infielder Liam Hicks (9th, 254th) by the Texas Rangers and Troy sophomore outfielder Logan Cerny (10th, 29th) by the Philadelphia Phillies.
A run of four Sun Belt arms kicked off Day 3 action—South Alabama senior left-handed pitcher Tyler Samaniego (15th, 433rd) by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Coastal Carolina junior right-handed pitcher Alaska Abney (15th, 456th) by the Cleveland Indians, Louisiana junior right-handed pitcher Conor Angel (15th, 461st) by the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas State senior right-handed pitcher Zachary Leigh (16th, 484th) by the Chicago Cubs.
Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year Drake Osborn (19th, 562nd), a senior catcher out of Louisiana, rounded out the draft class as the 562nd overall pick by the New York Mets.
Louisiana (4), South Alabama (3), Coastal Carolina (2) and Georgia Southern (2) each boasted multiple selections in the 2021 MLB Draft. Arkansas State, UTA, Texas State and Troy also had a student-athlete picked, giving 8-of-12 Sun Belt baseball programs representation in this year’s draft class.
2021 MLB Draft Picks
Ethan Wilson, South Alabama (2nd, 49th – Philadelphia Phillies)
Carlos Tavera, UTA (5th, 137th – Baltimore Orioles)
Spencer Arrighetti, Louisiana (6th, 178th – Houston Astros)
Parker Chavers, Coastal Carolina (7th, 214th – Chicago Cubs)
Nick Jones, Georgia Southern (8th, 231st – Los Angeles Angels)
Liam Hicks, Arkansas State (9th, 254th – Texas Rangers)
Jordan Jackson, Georgia Southern (10th, 294th – Seattle Mariners)
Logan Cerny, Troy (10th, 295th – Philadelphia Phillies)
Michael Sandle, South Alabama (10th, 298th – Houston Astros)
Connor Cooke, Louisiana (10th, 302nd – Toronto Blue Jays)
Tyler Samaniego, South Alabama (15th, 433rd – Pittsburgh Pirates)
Alaska Abney, Coastal Carolina (15th, 456th – Cleveland Indians)
Conor Angel, Louisiana (15th, 461st – Tampa Bay Rays)
Zachary Leigh, Texas State (16th, 484th – Chicago Cubs)
Drake Osborn, Louisiana (19th, 562nd – New York Mets)