OXFORD | Ryan Rolison was in the dugout watching his teammates when the biggest moment of his baseball life happened.
The Rockies selected the Ole Miss left-hander with the 22nd overall pick in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, making him the second first rounder in school history. Drew Pomeranz was picked fifth overall by the Indians in 2010.
Instead of other sports where the draft and the season are separated and set up so the participants can focus fully on life-changing achievement, baseball continues to grapple with common sense, causing Rolison to celebrate with teammates acknowledge the standing ovation from the Swayze Field crowd in the tense late innings of a 3-2 season-ending loss to Tennessee Tech.
“First of all very proud (of Rolison),” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. “I just heard everybody clapping and realized what happened. We talked a little beforehand in between games, and it’s really a shame that college baseball and Major League Baseball can’t figure it out to where it doesn’t happen like this and can be celebrated more. I’m proud of him and it’s very deserving.”
The 22nd pick carries a slot value of $2,912,300.
The Ole Miss signing class was also significantly hit. Florida prep pitcher Gunnar Hoglund, who didn’t walk a single batter in the regular season, was chosen 36th overall by the Pirates, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, outfielder Joe Gray was selected 60th by the Brewers.
Hoglund was expected in that range and should get close to the $1,967,900 slot value for that selection.
Gray, who uses Scott Boras as an advisor, took a high asking price into the Draft, and there were some doubts that a team would grab him on the first day because of it.
However, with the Brewers using a pick on him in the second round, a preliminary singing bonus agreement is likely in line to get done. Gray’s number, according to sources, was considerably more than the just north of $1.1 million that pick brings.
Teams lose the slot value out of their top 10 rounds if a pick doesn't sign, so the odds are all three signing are very high since they were picked.
