Diamond, Dunhurst and DeLucia selected in sixth round of MLB draft

Published 3:12 pm Monday, July 18, 2022

Ole Miss fans waited longer than expected to hear a familiar name called in the 2022 MLB draft, but their patience was rewarded as three Rebels were selected in quick succession in the sixth round on Monday.

The first Rebel off the board was pitcher Derek Diamond, who was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 170th overall pick. The Ramona, California native was selected 40 picks higher than anticipated after three inconsistent seasons in Oxford, and now heads to Pittsburgh with a chance to prove why he was such a highly-touted recruit coming out of high school.

Catcher Hayden Dunhurst became the second Ole Miss player to hear his name called when he was selected by the Kansas City Royals five picks later at No. 175. The slick-fielding backstop hit .260 during his collegiate career, and quickly established himself as one of the best defensive catchers in the country with his stellar glove and strong right arm.

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College World Series MVP Dylan DeLucia was also selected at the end of the sixth round when he went 190th overall to the Cleveland Guardians. The Northwest Florida State transfer made the most of his only year at Ole Miss—starting the season in the bullpen before moving into the starting rotation and ultimately putting together one of the most impressive postseason runs in program history to lead the Rebels to their first-ever national championship.

The Rebels will likely see several more players go off the board in the coming hours with seniors Tim Elko, Kevin Graham and Justin Bench still awaiting their new homes.