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LHS Alum Duplantis among six LSU players drafted

Posted at 6:37 PM, Jun 06, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-06 19:37:04-04

PRESS RELEASE

BATON ROUGE, La. – Six LSU players were selected Wednesday during Day 3 of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft.

The players chosen on the draft’s final day included junior right-handed pitcher Cam Sanders (12th round, Chicago Cubs), junior catcher Hunter Feduccia (12th round, Los Angeles Dodgers), sophomore infielder Jake Slaughter (18th round, Chicago Cubs), junior outfielder Antoine Duplantis (19th round, Cleveland), sophomore right-handed pitcher Zack Hess (34th round, Atlanta) and sophomore outfielder Zach Watson (40th round, Boston).

LSU sophomore left-handed pitcher Nick Bush was a Day 2 selection, chosen in the eighth round on Tuesday by the Colorado Rockies.

Duplantis, a Lafayette, La., native, batted a team-high .328 in 2018 with 13 doubles, six triples, two homers, 48 RBI, 55 runs and 19 stolen bases. He is first in the SEC in triples, third in the league in base hits (89) and third in stolen bases.

He was named to the 2018 SEC All-Tournament team after hitting .370 in six games with two doubles, one triple, five RBI and eight runs.

Duplantis has 268 career hits at LSU and needs 85 more to become the all-time hits leader in SEC history. Former LSU first baseman Eddy Furniss is the all-time SEC hits leader with 352 from 1995-98.

Hess, a product of Forest, Va., was 7-6 this season with a 5.05 ERA, working 92.2 innings in 16 starts and one relief appearance. He allowed 83 hits and 52 earned runs while recording 49 walks and 107 strikeouts.

Hess, who ranks No. 3 this season in the Southeastern Conference in strikeouts, has a 14-7 career mark and four saves in his two seasons at LSU with a 4.28 ERA. In 153.1 career innings (47 appearances/22 starts), he has recorded 79 walks and 190 strikeouts, and he has limited opponents to a .216 cumulative  batting average.

Hess, who earned Freshman All-America recognition in 2017, was also chosen in the 2016 MLB Draft as a high school senior by the New York Yankees in the 35th round.

Watson, a product of Ruston, La., batted .308 (72-for-234) this season with 15 doubles, two triples, seven homers, 34 RBI, 47 runs and 14 stolen bases. He has a .312 career batting average in two seasons at LSU with 24 doubles, five triples, 16 homers, 71 RBI, 89 runs and 26 stolen bases.

Watson, a 2017 Freshman All-American, was named to the College World Series All-Tournament team last season, and he was LSU’s leading hitter in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, batting .333 (16-for-48)  with one double, five homers, 10 RBI, 12 runs and four steals.

Sanders, a product of Thibodaux, La., made 18 appearances in 2018 (four starts), posting a 1-0 record with a 5.59 ERA in 38.2 innings. Sanders, the starting pitcher in LSU’s NCAA Regional victory over Northwestern State, recorded 24 walks and 48 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .207 batting average.

Sanders posted three dominant relief outings in the SEC Tournament against Florida (twice) and Ole Miss, working a combined 8.1 shutout innings and allowing only three hits with no walks and 12 strikeouts.

Feduccia, a Lake Charles, La., native, batted .233 this season with 10 doubles, one triple, three homers, 31 RBI and 22 runs.

Slaughter batted .254 this season with five doubles, two triples, eight homers, 30 RBI and 29 runs. The product of Choudrant, La., was named last week to the NCAA Corvallis Regional All-Tournament Team after he hit .417 (5-for-12) in four games with one homer, three RBI and four runs.

Nine LSU signees were also selected in the draft, including infielder Brice Turang (1st round, Milwaukee), right-handed pitcher Levi Kelly (8th round, Arizona), outfielder Elijah Cabell (14th round, Milwaukee), outfielder Giovanni DiGiacomo (29th round, Pittsburgh), left-handed pitcher Easton McMurray (37th round, Colorado), right-handed pitcher Landon Marceaux (37th round, New York Yankees), right-handed pitcher Cole Henry (38th round, Detroit), right-handed pitcher Jaden Hill (38th round, St. Louis) and catcher CJ Willis (39th round, Tampa Bay).

LSU Draft Summary

Current LSU Players Selected in 2018 MLB Draft

Nick Bush, LHP – 8th Round (Colorado)

Cam Sanders, RHP – 12th Round (Chicago Cubs)

Hunter Feduccia, C – 12th Round (Los Angeles Dodgers)

Jake Slaughter, INF – 18th Round (Chicago Cubs)

Antoine Duplantis, OF – 19th Round (Cleveland)

Zack Hess, RHP – 34th Round (Atlanta)

Zach Watson, OF – 40th Round (Boston)

LSU Signees Selected in 2018 MLB Draft

Brice Turang, INF – 1st Round (Milwaukee)

Levi Kelly, RHP – 8th Round (Arizona)

Elijah Cabell, OF – 14th Round (Milwaukee)

Giovanni DiGiacomo, OF – 29th Round (Pittsburgh)

Easton McMurray, LHP – 37th Round (Colorado)

Landon Marceaux, RHP – 37th Round (New York Yankees)

Cole Henry, RHP – 38th Round (Detroit)

Jaden Hill, RHP – 38th Round (St. Louis)

CJ Willis, C – 39th Round (Tampa Bay)