Four Bulldogs Selected

Louisiana Tech’s baseball program has reached an unprecedented level of success on a national level in the past two seasons, and on Monday that proved beneficial for four Bulldogs.

For the first time in school history, four players — Kyle Crigger, Ryan Jennings, Taylor Young and Cade Gibson — were selected in the first 10 rounds of the Major League Baseball draft.

“None of these men have ever been drafted, until today,” Tech head coach Lane Burroughs said via social media Monday. “No field, surgeries, injuries, role changes and scholarship adjustments. They kept showing up. They wrote their own story. Proud is an understatement.”

Only once before has more than one Tech player been selected in the top 10 rounds of any MLB Draft. That was in 1990 when Kevin McGehee and Phil Hiatt were drafted in the eighth round.

Fireballing right hander Jennings was the first Bulldog to come off the board in the fourth round, when he was selected 128th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in a slot worth $465,000.

The New Braunfels, Texas native overcame a slow start to the 2022 season, during which he lost a weekend starting role, but regained it later in the season and became the Dogs’ most consistent starter in the post-season, garnering All-Tournament honors at the Conference USA tourney in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Jennings went 5-1 with a 3.59 ERA this past season. He pitched 90 1/3 innings and struck out 95.

The Miami Marlins came calling for Tech closer Kyle Crigger with the 202nd pick in the seventh round. Crigger is drafted in a slot set at $239,000 after a season in which he notched 9 saves out of the bullpen with a teamleading 2.35 ERA.

He recorded a 6-3 record with 79 strikeouts in 69 innings pitched. As the season played out, Crigger became the steadying influence in the back half of important games and was named All-Conference and ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-Region. At one point during his season season he was so dominant that he went 19 1/3 innings without surrendering an earned run.

He’ll have company in South Beach. One of his closest friends on the team, Ruston’s own Gibson, was also drafted by the Marlins, in the in the 10th round as the 292nd pick in the draft. Gibson’s slot is set at $154,500.

“Something me and Cade have talked about all year,” Crigger said via social media. “Thank you Marlins for giving me this opportunity.”

“Thank you Louisiana Tech for everything,” Gibson said on Twitter. “Hey Crig let’s run this thing again.”

Gibson’s career with the Diamond Dogs mirrored his progression as a pitcher. As he gained experience and honed his craft, he became more important and assumed vital roles on the rotation until he became the Friday night starter midway through the 2022 season.

He went 6-5 his senior year with a 4.87 ERA to go with 93 strikeouts in 85 innings pitched. He earned second team All-Conference honors during a year in which he served notice early on with a standout performance against nationally-ranked LSU and picked up a win with eight whiffs in five innings.

Bulldog fans became accustomed to seeing Young leadoff games for the Dogs. Now they could see him in the lineup for the Los Angeles Dodgers at some point in his career.

A native of West Monroe, Young was selected in the eighth round with the 255th pick in a slot set at $169,000.

During a star-studded career, Young’s senior campaign may have been his best. He led the Diamond Dogs with a .364 batting average, led the nation with 89 runs scored and notched 87 hits with 23 doubles, 12 home runs, 51 RBIs and went 28-of-30 in stolen base attempts for good measure.

He ended his career as Tech’s alltime leader in games played, runs scored and base hits. The Dodgers are getting a double threat in the field as well. Projected as a second baseman as a professional, Young played second for Tech his junior season and committed just one error the entire year.

Rounds 11-20 were held Tuesday with other Bulldogs waiting to see their names picked.