Mississippi State University has a long history of developing professional baseball talent. This year, 51 former Bulldogs are playing across various levels of professional baseball, including eight in Major League Baseball, according to a recent report.
Among those in the majors are All-Stars Adam Frazier, Brent Rooker, Jordan Westburg, Brandon Woodruff, and World Series champion Nathaniel Lowe. MSU has produced 72 major leaguers, 13 All-Stars with 30 selections, seven World Series champions, and 21 first-round draft picks, including Rooker, Westburg, Justin Foscue, Will Bednar, Landon Sims, Jurrangelo Cijntje, and Ace Reese, the university said.
The report details the performances of several former Bulldogs. Justin Foscue of the Texas Rangers has a .253 batting average with seven home runs and 21 RBIs this season. Adam Frazier of the Los Angeles Angels is hitting .221 with one home run and eight RBIs. J.T. Ginn of the Oakland Athletics maintains an 8-6 record with a 3.41 ERA in 24 appearances.
Nathaniel Lowe of the Cleveland Guardians has been hitting .321 over his last 15 games, with 13 home runs and 43 RBIs on the season. Jake Mangum of the Pittsburgh Pirates is batting .301 with 99 hits. Rooker, who is recovering from knee surgery, has a .200 batting average with 10 home runs before missing the rest of the season.
Several Bulldogs are thriving in the minor leagues as well. Konnor Pilkington was released by the Nationals organization in August, while Landon Sims pitched 1 2/3 shutout innings for the Reno Aces on Aug. 7. Connor Hujsak is on a five-game hitting streak with the Montgomery Biscuits, and Tyler Davis of the Portland Sea Dogs has a 2-1 record with a 4.85 ERA.
