Three more Michigan State baseball players selected in MLB draft

EAST LANSING – A day after one Michigan State baseball player was taken, three more Spartans were picked in the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday.

Two of them were underclassmen. Junior outfielder Brandon Hughes went to the Chicago Cubs in the 16th round with the 495th overall pick. And redshirt sophomore right-handed reliever Nathan Witt was picked in the 17th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 520th pick.

The Chicago White Sox also drafted senior left-handed pitcher Joe Mockbee in the 29th round, 867th overall.

Redshirt sophomore left-handed pitcher Alex Troop, who also played first base and DH for the Spartans, was taken during the ninth round by the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.

MORE MLB DRAFT COVERAGE:

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Michigan State's Alex Troop selected by Washington Nationals in ninth round of MLB draft

Second-team All-Big Ten outfielder Hughes, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior from Sterling Heights, set MSU’s single-season stolen base record with 30 while hitting .330 batting average with 12 doubles, five homers and 35 RBIs. He also had a .983 fielding percentage while patrolling centerfield. Baseball America rated Hughes the 241st-best player in the draft.

Clarkston native Witt compiled a 4.37 ERA in 22 appearances this season, striking out 19 in 22 2/3 innings pitched. The 6-4, 215-pounder finished with a 2-0 record out of the bullpen.

Mockbee started one of his 29 games in his final season at MSU. The 6-4, 210-pounder from Akron, Ohio, had a 4-4 record with a 5.15 ERA, striking out 56 and walking 22 in 43 2/3 innings.

In the 36th round, the Detroit Tigers took pitcher Jesse Heikkinen from Holt at pick 1,085. The left-hander has signed a letter of intent to pitch for the Spartans beginning this fall.

The Spartans have had 29 players drafted under Boss, 17 of them underclassmen. Of those underclassmen taken, all but pitcher Cam Vieaux after his redshirt sophomore season in 2015 and catcher Matt Byars last season signed pro contracts.

Underclassmen who are drafted have until July 15 to decide whether to turn pro or return to college.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.