Three Rebels Picked on MLB Draft’s Final Day

Photo courtesy Ole MIss Athletics

Three Rebels were taken on the final day of the 2015 MLB Draft, bringing the total number of Rebels drafted to four as the professional ranks continue to show a great deal of interest in the Ole Miss Baseball program. For the 11th consecutive year, at least four Rebels were chosen in the draft.

One day after Scott Weathersby was picked up in the 10th round by the Houston Astros, Sikes Orvis (17th round — Chicago White Sox), Brady Bramlett (22nd — Oakland A’s) and Christian Trent (24th round — Milwaukee Brewers) received calls from big league clubs notifying them that they have been selected in the draft.

Orvis was the first player chosen on the third and final day of the first-year player draft with the seventh pick of the 17th round by the Chicago White Sox. Throughout his career at Ole Miss, the Orlando, Florida native left a lasting impression as a power hitter and also a fan favorite. Orvis is ranked 10th all-time in Ole Miss history with 34 career home runs, while appearing in 220 games and making 181 starts. He also finished his career as a Rebel tied for ninth in program laurels with 103 walks.

One of two team captains this season, the first baseman led the Rebels with 17 doubles, 16 home runs and 53 RBI. His 16 home runs ranked top-10 nationally, second in the SEC and tied for the seventh-most by any Rebel in a single season. During Ole Miss’ five-game winning streak at the end of the season that helped the Rebels clinch an NCAA Regional berth, Orvis hit at a .600 clip with seven home runs and 16 RBI, including a 3-for-3, 8-RBI game against Arkansas State. The hot hitting earned Orvis SEC Co-Player of the Week accolades.

Orvis earned his starter status as a sophomore and became a First-Team All-SEC honoree during his junior season to help lead the Rebels to Omaha for the College World Series. The slugger hit .294 in 2014 with 14 home runs and 53 RBI. In the 2014 NCAA Oxford Regional, Orvis batted .305 and knocked in the game-winning run versus Washington to send the Rebels to a Super Regional against top-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette.

Bramlett, who still has two years of collegiate eligibility remaining, was drafted by the Oakland A’s with the 22nd pick of the 22nd round. The Bartlett, Tennessee native returned to the mound in 2015 after missing the entire 2014 campaign due to injury and had a breakout season. Bramlett posted a 7-4 record with a 3.74 ERA over 15 starts, adding up to 84.1 innings. The right-hander led the Rebels in strikeouts with 83, a number that ranked in the upper echelon of the SEC.

Coincidentally, the A’s draftee put up numbers compared to former Rebel and current Oakland pitcher Drew Pomeranz. In 2015, Bramlett was the first Ole Miss pitcher to record 12 strikeouts in one game as well as double-digit strikeouts in two or more starts since Pomeranz accomplished the feat in 2010. Bramlett struck out 11 against Wright State before notching a career-high 12 punch-outs versus Stetson. He also pitched seven scoreless innings in a win over Alabama and did not allow an earned run against then No. 1 LSU.

For the second year in a row, Trent was selected in the MLB Draft. After being taken in the 29th round in 2014, his draft stock improved during the 2015 campaign. The southpaw was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 24th round with the 17th pick, but still has one year of eligibility remaining. In his two years as a Rebel, the Madisonville, Louisiana native has a two-season record of 16-7, winning the first 12 decisions of his career for the best start by a pitcher in Ole Miss history; he went 9-0 as a junior before winning the first three decisions of 2015.

As the Rebels’ ace during the 2015 season, Trent went up against the best pitchers in the SEC and posted a 7-7 record with a 3.74 ERA. He tossed a team-high 98.2 innings over 15 starts, going at least 8.0 innings in three of his final five starts of the season. He finished 2015 with 72 strikeouts, bumping his career total to 158.

Along with four picks in the 2015 MLB Draft, the Ole Miss Baseball has had 155 student-athletes drafted in program history. Moreover, 88 Rebels have been selected in the first year player draft during the past 15 seasons under head coach Mike Bianco.

Courtesy Ole Miss Athletics