Three Samford Bulldog baseball players are headed to the major leagues following this year’s Major League Baseball Draft.
Jacob Cravey of the Samford baseball team was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the sixth round on July 10.
Cravey was taken with the 181st pick in the 2023 draft, marking the highest selection for a Bulldog pitcher in program history. He becomes the first Bulldog drafted since Samuel Strickland was taken in the 19th round by the Atlanta Braves in 2021.
“I’m so happy and proud for Jacob and his entire family,” head coach Tony David said. “He has worked like crazy since day one here and developed into a dominant Friday-night guy.”
The junior right-hander led the Bulldogs’ pitching staff in 2023 with a 9-2 record and 3.10 ERA that earned him Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year honors and helped Samford capture both the SoCon Regular-Season and Tournament Championships for the first time in school history. Cravey, who posted a perfect 7-0 record in conference starts, led the conference and ranked ninth nationally with 126 strikeouts, the second-most strikeouts by a Samford pitcher in a season in program history.
“For two years he took the ball in game one every single weekend and tournament,” David said. “We knew every time out we had a great chance. What he did this season for us each week and pretty much guaranteeing a win in the opening game set the tone. He then put it on display on the national level in the regional against a great Southern Miss team. He earned every bit of it.”
The Andalusia native finished his Bulldog career ranking third in program history with 225 career strikeouts and sixth among qualified pitchers in Bulldog Baseball history with a 3.47 career ERA.
Cravey garnered All-American honors from four different entities in 2023, earning second-team recognition from Collegiate Baseball and third-team honors from the NCBWA, ABCA/Rawlings, and Perfect Game.
Hobbs selected in 11th round
Carson Hobbs was selected in the 11th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 11.
Hobbs was chosen 340th overall. The selection of Hobbs and Cravey marks the first time that multiple Bulldogs have been taken in the draft since 2019.
“I’m elated for Carson to still have this opportunity after his injury this season, which speaks volumes about his talent,” David said. “He has been an incredible pitcher, person, and teammate. For us, it was clear in the recruiting process and in his time on campus that he is a Samford guy. He worked like crazy throughout his time and after not getting many innings that freshman year, he exploded onto the scene last season.”
The Alabaster native posted a 1-1 record with two saves and a 1.59 earned run average over an injury-shortened 2023 season. He tallied 18 strikeouts in 11.1 innings and held opposing hitters to a .135 batting average. For his early-season success, Hobbs was named the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Month for February and additionally earned SoCon Pitcher of the Week honors on Feb. 27.
Hobbs logged 12 saves over his career with the Bulldogs, including a SoCon-leading 10 in 2022. In 29 appearances over the last two seasons, Hobbs fanned 59 batters in 43.2 innings for a rate of 12.3 per nine innings.
“He came into this year as one of the top closers in the country before he went down early on,” David said. “There truly is no ceiling for him and Cravey. Both guys have a real shot to make it all the way.”
Petschke signs with Astros
Junior closer Ben Petschke signed a free agent deal with the Houston Astros.
Petschke led the Southern Conference in 2023 and ranked third nationally with 14 saves, a mark that also ranked for the second-most in a single season by a Bulldog pitcher. He compiled a 6-3 record with a 4.14 earned run average while fanning 62 batters over 54.1 innings for a rate of 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Bulldogs’ closer took home second-team All-SoCon honors in 2023, in addition to being named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watchlist.
The Wexford, Pennsylvania, native saved his best work for May, where he logged seven saves and surrendered just three earned runs in 14.1 innings for a 1.88 ERA en route to being named SoCon Pitcher of the Month.
“Ben was thrust into the closer role this spring after Hobbs and Goff both went down to injury and obviously did an incredible job for us,” David said. “‘Petschke Time’ in the last inning was all about building suspense before finishing it off. We appreciate all he did for our program in this championship season.”
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