University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Nick Sandlin and Luke Reynolds Begin Professional Baseball Careers
7/2/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Nick Sandlin and Luke Reynolds, who each put together All-American seasons during their junior year at Southern Miss, have each started their professional careers with their respective Major League Baseball club.
Sandlin, a 2nd round pick by the Cleveland Indians (67th-pick overall), and Reynolds, a 10th-round selection by the Chicago Cubs (308th-pick overall), became the 24th and 25th Golden Eagles taken in the Top 10 rounds of last month's MLB First-Year Player Draft.
Sandlin initially reported to the Arizona League for the Indians 1 squad, appearing in three, one-inning outings in which he allowed two hits and no runs with four strikeouts and no walks. The Evans, Ga., native earned a promotion over the weekend to the Class A Lake County (Ohio) Captains. Sandlin, who is currently on the same team as another former Golden Eagle, Kirk McCarty, allowed a hit and fanned one in his lone inning of work in his first outing on Saturday.
Reynolds collected his professional debut on Saturday in the Arizona League (Rookie) for the AZL Cubs 1. In his first two games, the Forest, Miss., product batted third and fourth in the batting lineup, respectively.
Here is a listing of all former Golden Eagles currently playing in organized Minor League Baseball. One other Southern Miss player, Brian Dozier, is on the roster for the Minnesota Twins.
| Player | Team (Level) | Organization | League | Draft | |
| Taylor Braley$ | Greensboro (A) | Miami Marlins | South Atlantic | 2017 | |
| Dylan Burdeaux | Lakeland (High A) | Detroit Tigers | Florida State | 2017 | |
| Cody Carroll | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA) | New York Yankees | International | 2015 | |
| Scott Copeland* | Binghamton (AA) | New York Mets | Eastern | 2010 | |
| Conor Fisk | Buffalo (AAA) | Toronto Blue Jays | International | 2014 | |
| Kirk McCarty | Lake County (A) | Cleveland Indians | Midwest | 2017 | |
| Luke Reynolds | AZL Cubs 1 (Rookie) | Chicago Cubs | Arizona | 2018 | |
| Mason Robbins | Charlotte (AAA) | Chicago White Sox | International | 2014 | |
| Chuckie Robinson | Buies Creek (High A) | Houston Astros | Carolina | 2016 | |
| Hayden Roberts | Boise (Short Season A) | Colorado Rockies | Pioneer | 2017 | |
| Bradley Roney$ | Mississippi (AA) | Atlanta Braves | Southern | 2014 | |
| Nick Sandlin | Lake County (A) | Cleveland Indians | Midwest | 2018 | |
| Jake Winston | Kane County (A) | Arizona D'backs | Midwest | 2016 |
* Played in Major League Baseball; $ 7-Day DL
As of 7/1/18
