NEW ORLEANS – For the second-straight year, a conference-record eight Sun Belt student-athletes were invited to participate in the MLB Draft Combine from June 17-21.
The fifth-annual event is being held at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz., and will feature a pro-style showcase workout alongside strength and performance assessments.
Twenty-nine Sun Belt student-athletes have been invited to the MLB Draft Combine over the five-year history of the event—eight in 2025, eight in 2024, seven in 2023, three in 2022 and three in 2021.
Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year and All-Sun Belt First Team pick Jacob Morrison headlines this year’s group of invitees. Morrison is 12-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 0.91 WHIP on the season and helped Coastal Carolina punch its ticket to the national semifinals on Sunday. The Flushing, Mich., native has held opposing hitters to a .194 batting average and amassed 102 strikeouts over 104.0 innings pitched thus far.
Chanticleers junior catcher Caden Bodine—an All-Sun Belt First Team honoree—also earned the prestigious invite. Bodine is hitting .325 with 18 doubles, a triple and five home runs on the year. The Haddon Heights, N.J., native has accumulated 42 RBI and 54 runs scored during Coastal Carolina’s current run to the semifinals of the College World Series.
Due to their participation in the College World Series, Morrison and Bodine will have the opportunity to attend a similar supplemental event following the MLB Draft Combine.
Georgia Southern All-Sun Belt First Team outfielder Josh Tate will showcase his talents at the MLB Draft Combine following a junior campaign in which he hit .362 with 18 doubles, three triples and 12 home runs. The Peachtree City, Ga., native registered a 1.043 OPS and compiled 46 RBI, 60 runs scored and 149 total bases.
The Southern Miss duo of junior right-handed pitcher JB Middleton and redshirt sophomore outfielder Jake Cook will also represent the Sun Belt at the MLB Draft Combine following the Golden Eagles’ run to a sixth-straight NCAA Baseball Regional final.
Middleton—an All-Sun Belt First Team selection—posted a 10-1 record with a 2.31 ERA and 0.85 WHIP on the year. The Yazoo City, Mich., product held opposing hitters to a .174 batting average and accumulated 122 strikeouts over 105.1 innings pitched. Cook—an All-Sun Belt Second Team pick—hit .350 with 13 doubles, three triples and three home runs. The Madison, Miss., native tallied 32 RBI, 57 runs scored and 111 total bases.
Troy All-Sun Belt Second Team catcher Brooks Bryan joined Bodine in earning an MLB Draft Combine bid for his performance behind the dish. Bryan hit .279 with 18 doubles, two triples and 12 home runs. The Opelika, Ala., product compiled 42 runs scored, 61 RBI and 122 total bases during his junior campaign.
Rounding out the Sun Belt contingent in Phoenix are a pair of Old Dominion junior left-handed pitchers—Dylan Brown and Ben Moore. Brown registered a 5-2 record with a 4.06 ERA and 1.24 WHIP on the season. The Lansdale, Pa., product held opposing hitters to a .242 batting average and tallied 102 strikeouts over 82.0 innings pitched. Moore went 2-6 with a 6.64 ERA and 1.68 WHIP on the year. The Frederick, Md., native amassed 59 strikeouts over 63.2 innings pitched.
While at the combine, players will participate in a series of on-field, medical and performance assessments as well as educational programming designed to prepare them for careers in professional baseball.
The 2025 MLB Draft is slated for July 13-14 during MLB All-Star Week in Atlanta, Ga. The Draft will feature 20 rounds over two days, beginning with the opening night of the Draft on Sunday, July 13, at the Coca-Cola Roxy in The Battery Atlanta—adjacent to Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.
Rounds 1-3 will take place on Sunday, July 13, with Rounds 4-20 slated for Monday, July 14.
The Sun Belt has produced 853 MLB Draft picks all-time, including 19 during the 2024 MLB Draft.
Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina (Jr., C – Haddon Heights, N.J.)
Jacob Morrison, Coastal Carolina (RS So., RHP – Flushing, Mich.)
Josh Tate, Georgia Southern (Jr., OF – Peachtree City, Ga.)
Dylan Brown, Old Dominion (Jr., LHP – Lansdale, Pa.)
Ben Moore, Old Dominion (Jr., LHP – Frederick, Md.)
Jake Cook, Southern Miss (RS So., OF – Madison, Miss.)
JB Middleton, Southern Miss (Jr., RHP – Yazoo City, Miss.)
Brooks Bryan, Troy (Jr., C – Opelika, Ala.)
