University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Photo by: Joe Harper/bgnphoto.com
Nick Monistere, Landen Payne Taken on Day Two of MLB Draft
7/14/2025 6:07:00 PM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss second baseman Nick Monistere (Brandon, Miss.) and relief pitcher Landen Payne (Ocean Springs, Miss.) were each selected Monday on the final day of the Major League Baseball Draft.
The Houston Astros made Monistere their choice in the fourth round (Pick No. 126), while Payne went in the 18th round by the Chicago White Sox (Pick No. 526).
Monistere, the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, collected three All-American honors including a first team listing by the NCBWA, second team accolades from D1Baseball.com and a third team spot from Baseball America.
The three-year starter finished with a .323 average with 21 home runs and 72 RBI, leading both his team and Sun Belt Conference in both homer and RBI categories. His season home run total tied him for ninth on the school chart and his RBI total is the most by a Golden Eagle in a season since Reed Trimble collected that many during the 2021 campaign. He also ranked No. 15 nationally in home runs.
Payne appeared in 20 games, all in relief, and posted a 2-1 record with a 2.76 ERA. His numbers included 47 strikeouts and six walks over 32 2/3 innings. He enjoyed his longest outing of the season of 3 2/3 innings at Texas State (4/13) in which he did not allow a run, hit or walk with a career-best seven strikeouts.
Payne also added a pair of three inning performances down the stretch against Louisiana (5/11), getting a save, and versus Miami (6/2) in the regional for a no decision. He has played the last two seasons for Southern Miss. Payne became the first Golden Eagle to be taken by the White Sox since Mason Robbins went in the 25th round in 2014.
With the Golden Eagles also having JB Middleton drafted in the second round (Pick No. 45) by Colorado and Jake Cook in the third round by Toronto (Pick No. 81), it marked the first time in school history to have three of its players taken in the first four rounds of the draft. It also marked the third time in the last four years that Southern Miss had at least three players selected in the draft.
The Houston Astros made Monistere their choice in the fourth round (Pick No. 126), while Payne went in the 18th round by the Chicago White Sox (Pick No. 526).
Monistere, the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, collected three All-American honors including a first team listing by the NCBWA, second team accolades from D1Baseball.com and a third team spot from Baseball America.
The three-year starter finished with a .323 average with 21 home runs and 72 RBI, leading both his team and Sun Belt Conference in both homer and RBI categories. His season home run total tied him for ninth on the school chart and his RBI total is the most by a Golden Eagle in a season since Reed Trimble collected that many during the 2021 campaign. He also ranked No. 15 nationally in home runs.
Payne appeared in 20 games, all in relief, and posted a 2-1 record with a 2.76 ERA. His numbers included 47 strikeouts and six walks over 32 2/3 innings. He enjoyed his longest outing of the season of 3 2/3 innings at Texas State (4/13) in which he did not allow a run, hit or walk with a career-best seven strikeouts.
Payne also added a pair of three inning performances down the stretch against Louisiana (5/11), getting a save, and versus Miami (6/2) in the regional for a no decision. He has played the last two seasons for Southern Miss. Payne became the first Golden Eagle to be taken by the White Sox since Mason Robbins went in the 25th round in 2014.
With the Golden Eagles also having JB Middleton drafted in the second round (Pick No. 45) by Colorado and Jake Cook in the third round by Toronto (Pick No. 81), it marked the first time in school history to have three of its players taken in the first four rounds of the draft. It also marked the third time in the last four years that Southern Miss had at least three players selected in the draft.
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