Bart Swain
Director, Baseball Information & Player Relations
With their second round pick (58th overall), the club selected LHP DOUG NIKHAZY out of the University of Mississippi. Nikhazy, 21, posted a 12-2 record with a 2.45 ERA in 16 games/15 starts this spring (92.0IP, 62H, 25ER, 31BB, 142SO), earning near consensus All-American honors as he set a school record for single-season wins and finished second in program history for single-season strikeouts behind Lance Lynn’s mark of 146 (2007). He concluded his Ole Miss college career with a 24-6 mark with a 2.81 ERA in 40 games/33 starts (204.2IP, 149H, 64ER, 73BB, 259SO). He recorded a one-hit shutout vs. Mississippi State and set a single-game record with 16 SO vs. Florida State at the Oxford Regional. The Windermere, FL native was a member of the Team USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in 2019 after setting an Ole Miss freshman record with 86 SO and earning Freshman All-American honors.
With their Competitive Balance round B pick (69th overall), the club selected RHP TOMMY MACE from the University of Florida. Mace, 22, recently concluded a four-year collegiate career with a 22-7 record and a 4.37 ERA in 62 games/41 starts (269.2IP, 269H, 150ER, 76BB, 258SO) for the Gators. He posted a 4.38 ERA in 15 starts this spring (44ER/90.1IP). The Friday night starter recorded a 1.67 ERA (27.0IP, 21H, 5ER, 26SO) in four start during the 2020 pandemic-shortened campaign and opted to return for his fourth season in Gainesville. He was a selected by Cincinnati (12th round) out of Sunlake High School (Land O' Lakes, FL) in the 2017 MLB Draft after earning MaxPreps Second Team HS All-American honors.