Tigers improve draft stock after return to school

A return to Baton Rouge paid off for a few LSU Tigers whose draft stock rose while leading the Tigers to a return trip to the College World Series.

A quartet of Tigers were selected Tuesday during the second day of the Major League Baseball draft. LSU also had a few high school signees picked.

The first pick of the day was St. Amant High school pitcher Blayne Enlow by the Minnesota Twins. Enlow, a hard-throwing right-handed starter, signed with LSU and was the first pick of the third round. Last summer, Emlow pitched on the USA 18-and-under national team. Barbe head coach Glenn Cecchini was head coach of the team. 

A pair of Tigers followed shortly thereafter, with infield mates Kramer Robertson and Cole Freeman going in the fourth round. Robertson, a shortstop, was picked by St. Louis. Nine picks later, Freeman was selected by the Washington Nationals.

Another LSU signee, West Monroe outfielder Jacob Pearson, was selected in the third round by the Los Angeles Angels. Pearson was voted the state’s Mr. Baseball after hitting .519 with 12 home runs this season.

Freeman, a senior second baseman, leads LSU in both batting average (.327) and stolen bases (18). He was picked in the 18th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers last year but chose not to sign.

Robertson, the team’s leadoff hitter, is batting .319 and leads the team in runs scored with 83. He also has eight home runs and 43 RBIs. Robertson chose to return to LSU after being drafted in the 32nd round by the Cleveland Indians last year.

Senior starting pitcher Jared Poche was drafted in the ninth round by the Athletics, a year after being a 14th round pick of the San Diego Padres. On the season, Poche is 10-3 with a 3.42 ERA.

Poche’s battery mate, junior catcher Michael Papierski was also drafted in the ninth round, by the Houston Astros. Papierski is hitting .260 with 8 HRs and 34 RBI.

Also taken Tuesday were Southeastern Louisiana junior pitcher Mac Sceroler, who went 9-2 this season while helping the Lions reach the NCAA tournament. He was drafted in the fifth round by Cincinnati Reds. Last year, Sceroler was a 36th round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Tigers selected on the first day of the draft Monday were junior pitcher Alex Lange (9-5, 2.92 ERA), taken in the first round by the Chicago Cubs, and junior outfielder Greg Diechmann (.320, 19 HR, 72 RBIs),  selected in the second round by the Oakland Athletics. Diechmann was a 26th round pick by the Twins last year.

The draft concludes today with rounds 11-40.