NC State Newsstand: Wolfpack baseball has 4 ESPN Top-250 MLB Draft prospects
Throughout much of the season, NC State had several players generating MLB Draft interest. And after the Pack’s run to the College World Series, that has not changed.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel ranked four current or incoming Wolfpack players in his final top-250 ahead of this weekend’s MLB Draft.
Junior catcher Jacob Cozart, the headlining draft name for much of the year in Raleigh, checked in at No. 83 in McDaniel’s list. He put together a career-best year at the plate — .305 avg. with 19 home runs, 54 RBI and 52 walks — while his defensive catching remained among the best in the country.
While Cozart led the way, he was not the only current NC State player that made the list. Sophomore center fielder Eli Serrano III came in at No. 126 after his first year in a collegiate outfielder. Serrano hit .286 with nine doubles, nine home runs and 39 RBI this past season.
In addition to the two current Wolfpack stars, NC State had a pair of high school names appear in McDaniel’s list as well. Parkland (Fla.) Stoneman Douglas third baseman Devin Fitzgerald checked in at No. 98, while Windermere (Fla.) center fielder Ty Head ranked No. 151 on McDaniel’s list.
Both Fitz-Gerald and Head currently appear on NC State’s student directory at the moment, though they could still sign with an MLB team if they choose to this summer.
The MLB Draft begins Sunday with the first two rounds at 5 p.m. ET, in addition to the first two supplemental rounds. The second day of the draft will include rounds 3-10 on Monday and the third day contains rounds 11-20 on Tuesday. The final two days begin at 12 p.m. ET.
Tweets of the day
NC State is among the nation’s best as a well-rounded athletic institution.
4-star safety Jordan Young put the Wolfpack in his top four schools going into his commitment date this fall.
NC State men’s basketball is running through offseason workouts at the Dail Basketball Center.
Quote of the day
Young, the No. 12 safety in the Class of 2025, told On3’s Chad Simmons he put the Wolfpack in his top four. Here’s why:
“Coach Joker Phillips is a great guy,” Young said. “He and the coaches at NC State have been coming after me hard for a while. The relationships and how hard they recruit me stands out.”
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