After a bit of wondering of what would happen with Brent Rooker and Jack Kruger, both have made decisions about where they'll play next season. Kruger became the 10th Bulldog drafted to sign a contract with a MLB organization, while Rooker announced his intent to return to play for another season.
#Angels have signed 20th round draft pick C Jack Kruger. Halos have now signed 35 of 40 players from 2016 draft class.
— Angels (@Angels) July 15, 2016
Grateful to the Minnesota Twins for the opportunity but we've got some unfinished business in Starkville. Can't wait to get back to work!
— Brent Rooker (@Brent_Rooker19) July 15, 2016
Next year's team will feature a lot of new faces, but we experienced something similar to that this past season. We had quite a few question marks about who would play and how well they would do. But, we are getting Rooker back, and that's a big help for the offense and the outfield. There's plenty of talent around the team, especially amongst some of the young arms in the bullpen. There's no valid reason to push the panic button just yet, but any high expectations will likely need to be tempered some until this team finds its identity.
Still, congrats to Jack Kruger and the nine other Bulldogs bound for MLB organizations. You're representing the university and have a wonderful opportunity ahead of you. And welcome back Brent Rooker. We can't wait to see what you do next season.