17 players with Mississippi ties drafted in 2023 MLB Draft

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Seventeen baseball players representing Mississippi heard their names called during the 2023 MLB draft this week.

Fifteen of the college and high school student-athletes represented schools from the Magnolia State, heralded as arguably the best baseball state in the country.

Ole Miss shortstop Jacob Gonzalez was the lone representative of Mississippi selected in the first round, who was drafted by the Chicago White Sox with the 15th overall pick. He will join former Rebels Tim Elko, Lance Lynn, and Calvin Harris as a part of the White Sox organization.

2023 Ferris Trophy winner and Rebels teammate Kemp Alderman was selected in the second round (47th pick) by the Miami Marlins.

Mississippi State’s Colton Ledbetter was drafted in the second round as well with the 55th overall pick by the Tampa Bay Rays while 2022 Ferris Trophy winner and 2023 Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Tanner Hall was the first Southern Miss talent selected in the fourth round (114th pick) by the Minnesota Twins.

USM had four players drafted in the first 10 rounds for the first time in program history following another historic season in Scott Berry’s last year in charge.

Below is a full list of all twenty-two players selected in the MLB draft:

Jacob Gonzalez - Ole Miss; Round 1, Pick 15; Chicago White Sox
Kemp Alderman - Ole Miss; Round 2, Pick 47; Miami Marlins
Colton Ledbetter - MSU; Round 2, Pick 55; Tampa Bay Rays
Tanner Hall - USM; Round 4, Pick 114; Minnesota Twins
Calvin Harris - Ole Miss; Round 4, Pick 116; Chicago White Sox
Cooper Pratt - Magnolia Heights High School (Ole Miss commit); Round 6, Pick 182; Milwaukee Brewers
Cade Smith - MSU; Round 6, Pick 192; New York Yankees
Justin Storm - USM; Round 7, Pick 203; Miami Marlins
Dustin Dickerson - USM; Round 8, Pick 229; Kansas City Royals
Bryson Ware (from Madison, MS) - Auburn; Round 8, Pick 253; Philadelphia Phillies
Jack Dougherty - Ole Miss; Round 9, Pick 267; Minnesota Twins
Landon Tomkins (from Brandon, MS) - Louisiana Tech; Round 10, Pick 287; Pittsburgh Pirates
Matthew Etzel - USM; Round 10, Pick 301; Baltimore Orioles
Caleb Hobson (from Pontotoc, MS) - UT Martin; Round 13, Pick 382; Colorado Rockies
Will Verdung (Southern Miss commit) - Itawamba Community College (MS); Round 13, Pick 399; Atlanta Braves
Johnathan Rogers - Tupelo High School (Louisiana commit); Round 20, Pick 590; Detroit Tigers
Kellum Clark - MSU; Round 20, Pick 606; New York Mets