SAU’S SIMPSON TAKEN 16TH OVERALL IN MLB DRAFT

By: Houston Taylor

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – “The hometown boy made good” as the Chicago Cubs selected Magnolia native and Southern Arkansas All-America starting pitcher Hayden Simpson (6-0, 175, JR, Magnolia) with the 16th overall pick in Monday’s annual first-year player Major League Baseball draft.

The selection came as a surprise to many as Simpson was listed by various sources as expected to be taken anywhere from the second through eighth rounds. None may have been more surprised than Simpson.

“I’m just blown away,” Simpson stated. “I had no idea I’d be picked then. A bunch of friends came over just to watch the draft. I was waiting for tomorrow’s rounds.”

Simpson was recommended by area scout Jim Crawford, and Cubs scouting director Tim Wilken was sold on Simpson after watching his complete game shutout performance over Florida Southern May 14 at the NCAA Division II South Region tournament in Tampa, Fla. Simpson struck out 13 in that game without walking a batter.

Simpson polished off his three-year career with the Muleriders this season with a 13-1 record, 1.81 ERA, 131 strikeouts and only 35 walks in 99 1/3 innings. All while en route to being runner-up for the Tino Martinez Division II national player of the year, and a first team selection and the national pitcher of the year on all three post-season All-America teams (Rawlings/ABCA, Daktronics, NCBWA). He made 15 starts with six complete games, tossing three shutouts and combining for three more, while limiting opponents to a .201 average.

The right-hander has staggering career numbers, compiling a 35-2 mark and 2.39 ERA over the past three seasons, tied at ninth all-time in wins on the Division II level. His 323 strikeouts compute to 10.7 per nine innings, and he allowed only 72 earned runs and 190 hits in facing over 1,100 batters, limiting opponents to hitting just .196 against him.

Among his many Gulf South Conference achievements, Simpson stands second all-time in consecutive wins (15) and consecutive shutouts (2). He is third all-time in career wins, win percentage (.946) and career strikeouts, and had the third highest single-season strikeout ratio in history this year, fanning an average of 11.87 hitters per nine innings.

Simpson’s selection makes him the highest annual MLB draft pick in SAU history, and the 20th player drafted. Former right-handed pitcher Gary Wilson (Camden) was Southern Arkansas’ first-ever player drafted, taken second by the Houston Astros in the first round of the January 1976 secondary supplemental draft. Outfielder Vince Holyfield (Junction City) was taken in the third round as the 70th pick in 1985 by the Philadelphia Phillies, and most recently, Magnolia native Bobby Beeson was taken by the Kansas City Royals with the 295th selection in the 10th round of the 2004 draft.

Within the Gulf South Conference, Simpson becomes only the fourth player taken in the first round of the MLB draft. At 16th he is the highest selection ever among current member schools, one of only two drafted in the first round, joined by former Valdosta State and current Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jason Bulger, who was taken 22nd by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. Simpson stands as the second-highest drafted all-time in league history, behind only former GSC member Jacksonville State’s Ted Barnicle (pitcher), a first-round No. 8 pick by the San Francisco Giants. Jacksonville State pitcher Todd Jones was taken with the 27th pick in 1989 by the Astros, compiling 319 saves over a 15-year career.

As of Monday, Simpson hadn’t received any instructions from the Cubs as to a report date or destination. He is expected to be the subject of a press conference with the Chicago media in the next few days.