University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Photo by: Joe Harper/bgnphoto.com
Hunter Stanley Chosen in 11th Round by Cleveland in Final Day of MLB Draft
7/13/2021 2:43:00 PM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss starting right-handed pitcher Hunter Stanley (Hammond, La.) completed the list of 2021 Golden Eagles drafted in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft Wednesday when he was selected in the 11th round by the Cleveland Indians (Pick No. 336).
The list of honors was long for Stanley following his senior campaign this spring by garnering second-team All-America honors by Collegiate Baseball as well as posting a third-team nod by both the American Baseball Coaches Association and D1Baseball.com. It marked the second consecutive year he earned an All-America award, after collecting third-team honors by Collegiate Baseball last season as a reliever.
During 2021, Stanley started in 15 games (16 total appearances) and registered a 6-4 record with a 2.56 earned run average over 102 innings of work. Stanley fanned a team-best 127 strikeouts – 8.3 per start – while walking just 19 batters and limiting opponents to a .198 batting average. His strikeout total during the year sits at No. 6 on the school's single-season chart.
In his first year as a starting pitcher for the Golden Eagles, Stanley went at least six innings in all but three starts as he led the team with 11 quality starts. One of his outings consisted of nine scoreless innings against Middle Tennessee (5/7), despite not getting a decision in the contest, in which he fanned a career-high 16.
He struck out 45 and walked three over his final four starts, spanning 30 innings. That final stretch of starts included his only complete game of eight innings in an 11-1 run-rule win over WKU in the opener of C-USA Tournament as he posted 14 strikeouts and only one walk in that contest.
His other awards during the year included being named first-team All-Conference USA, voted as a member of the C-USA all-tournament team, tabbed as a two-time C-USA Pitcher and Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week and earned first-team All-South Region by the ABCA/Rawlings.
Over his three seasons, including the first two out of the bullpen, Stanley appeared in 53 games. His pitching record totaled 13-6 to go with a 2.60 earned run average, one complete game and seven saves over 155 2/3 innings. He allowed 114 hits, 54 runs (45 earned), 30 walks and 185 strikeouts.
Stanley is the third Golden Eagle pitcher taken by the Indians over the last five drafts, as Kirk McCarty was chosen in the 7th round in 2017 and Nick Sandlin in the 2nd round in 2018. McCarty currently finds himself in Columbus, Ohio, with the Triple-A Clippers, while Sandlin is a member of the Cleveland bullpen.
The Golden Eagles also had outfielder Reed Trimble (Baltimore Orioles/Competitive Balance Round B – No. 65 pick) and left-handed pitcher Ryan Och (San Diego Padres/Round 7 – No. 220 pick) chosen on Tuesday.
The list of honors was long for Stanley following his senior campaign this spring by garnering second-team All-America honors by Collegiate Baseball as well as posting a third-team nod by both the American Baseball Coaches Association and D1Baseball.com. It marked the second consecutive year he earned an All-America award, after collecting third-team honors by Collegiate Baseball last season as a reliever.
During 2021, Stanley started in 15 games (16 total appearances) and registered a 6-4 record with a 2.56 earned run average over 102 innings of work. Stanley fanned a team-best 127 strikeouts – 8.3 per start – while walking just 19 batters and limiting opponents to a .198 batting average. His strikeout total during the year sits at No. 6 on the school's single-season chart.
In his first year as a starting pitcher for the Golden Eagles, Stanley went at least six innings in all but three starts as he led the team with 11 quality starts. One of his outings consisted of nine scoreless innings against Middle Tennessee (5/7), despite not getting a decision in the contest, in which he fanned a career-high 16.
He struck out 45 and walked three over his final four starts, spanning 30 innings. That final stretch of starts included his only complete game of eight innings in an 11-1 run-rule win over WKU in the opener of C-USA Tournament as he posted 14 strikeouts and only one walk in that contest.
His other awards during the year included being named first-team All-Conference USA, voted as a member of the C-USA all-tournament team, tabbed as a two-time C-USA Pitcher and Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week and earned first-team All-South Region by the ABCA/Rawlings.
Over his three seasons, including the first two out of the bullpen, Stanley appeared in 53 games. His pitching record totaled 13-6 to go with a 2.60 earned run average, one complete game and seven saves over 155 2/3 innings. He allowed 114 hits, 54 runs (45 earned), 30 walks and 185 strikeouts.
Stanley is the third Golden Eagle pitcher taken by the Indians over the last five drafts, as Kirk McCarty was chosen in the 7th round in 2017 and Nick Sandlin in the 2nd round in 2018. McCarty currently finds himself in Columbus, Ohio, with the Triple-A Clippers, while Sandlin is a member of the Cleveland bullpen.
The Golden Eagles also had outfielder Reed Trimble (Baltimore Orioles/Competitive Balance Round B – No. 65 pick) and left-handed pitcher Ryan Och (San Diego Padres/Round 7 – No. 220 pick) chosen on Tuesday.
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