Knight, other Hogs taken on Day 2 of MLB Draft

The first Arkansas player is off the board at the 2018 MLB Draft, with the Baltimore Orioles selecting Blaine Knight in the third round and with the 87th overall pick.

A junior from Bryant, Ark., the right-hander was projected to be a high pick as a draft-eligible sophomore last year, but slipped to the 29th round because he wanted to return for his junior season.

It proved to be a wise decision. Not only has he helped put the Razorbacks on the brink of a trip to the College World Series, but the slot value for the 87th overall pick is $663,200.

Knight is the only pitcher in college baseball with an 11-0 record and he’s done it going head-to-head with several SEC aces – such as Day 1 picks Casey Mize, Brady Singer, Ryan Rolison, Jackson Kowar, Sean Hjelle and Mitchell Kilkenny – as Arkansas’ Friday night starter.

He also has a 2.74 ERA, 88 strikeouts and 22 walks in 95 1/3 innings this season, earning second-team All-SEC honors from the league and second-team All-America accolades from Baseball America.

Including his first two seasons with the Razorbacks, Knight has 230 strikeouts, which ranks fifth in the UA career record book. He also has a career ERA of 3.00 in 234 1/3 innings.

His selection extends Arkansas’ streak to 44 consecutive years with at least one player taken in the MLB Draft. It is the ninth straight year the Razorbacks have had a player taken within the first three rounds and the seventh straight year they’ve had a pitcher drafted in the top 10 rounds.

Several other Razorbacks are expected to be selected Tuesday, with the draft going through the 10th round. Those picks will be posted below. The final 30 rounds begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

4th round, No. 122 - Eric Cole - Kansas City Royals

The next Arkansas player off the board is Eric Cole, who has primarily played right field for the Razorbacks in 2018. The slot value for his pick is $451,200.

After a couple of solid seasons in which he started 76 games and hit .276 with five home runs and 32 RBIs, Cole has put together his best year as a junior. He is tied for the team lead with 13 home runs, is second with 47 RBIs and has a .328 batting average. Those numbers helped him earn second-team All-SEC honors.

If he stays in the Royals organization and climbs the ladder, Cole will get another chance to play in the area as a professional because Kansas City's double-A affiliate is the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, who play in Springdale.

5th round, No. 144 - Grant Koch - Pittsburgh Pirates

The 10th catcher selected in this year's MLB Draft is Arkansas' Grant Koch. The slot value for his pick is $364,600.

Despite not having the best season at the plate, the Fayetteville native has been solid behind the plate with only one error in 465 chances, giving him a .998 fielding percentage. That earned him a spot on the SEC's All-Defensive team.

Koch delivered a big RBI single in Arkansas' regional-clinching 4-3 win over Dallas Baptist, but his batting average has dipped all the way to .250. However, he is still finding ways to reach thanks to 34 walks and he still has power with six doubles and seven home runs. That gives him a .366 on-base percentage and .397 slugging percentage.

8th round, No. 239 - Jax Biggers - Texas Rangers

It has been a disappointing junior season for Jax Biggers, but he showed enough potential as a sophomore - when he led the Razorbacks with a .338 average - to get selected by the Rangers in the eighth round. The slot value for his pick is $166,400.

The shortstop missed a few games late in the season after being hit by a pitch and suffering a fractured left index finger, but has looked good since returning during the SEC Tournament despite played with a numbed up and heavily wrapped finger.

That recent surge has raised his season batting average to .281 with four home runs and 22 RBIs. Biggers' most recent home run has been called a "nine-finger dinger" by fans because it with his aforementioned heavily wrapped finger, which has caused him to swing with only nine fingers holding the bat.

10th round, No. 311 - Carson Shaddy - Washington Nationals

A rare fifth-year senior, Carson Shaddy has been one of Arkansas' most consistent players this season. Until a recent skid at the SEC Tournament, he was leading the team in batting average.

Shaddy snapped an 0-for-16 slump with a home run in last weekend's regional and also had a double and triple, earning a spot on the All-Tournament team. Even with that rough stretch, he is still hitting .331 with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs.

The slot value for his pick is $136,900, but his bonus likely won't be that high because he has no leverage as a senior. MLB teams typically draft college seniors in this part of the draft to save money in their bonus pool for players taken in the earlier rounds.