Dreams came true for four current and former Pearl River baseball standouts Monday afternoon as they received the call of a lifetime, earning a selection in the 2025 Major League Baseball draft.
Jacob Johnson (Carriere; Pearl River Central) and KK Clark (Brandon) were the current Wildcats taken. Former Wildcats were LSU's Conner Ware (Madison; Germantown) and Southern Mississippi's Landen Payne (Ocean Springs; St. Martin).
Johnson was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 11th round with the 325th pick, the Baltimore Orioles took Clark in the 15th round with the 454th pick, Ware earned a selection from the New York Mets in the 15th round with the 463rd pick and Payne was scooped up by the Chicago White Sox in the 18th round with the 526th pick.
JACOB JOHNSON
Johnson made his lone season as a Wildcat count, posting a 12-1 record across 17 appearances. He struck out 70 batters in 71 innings and only walked 24. When the season ended, he had an ERA of 2.28 and earned First Team All-MACCC, All-Region 23 and NJCAA All-America Honorable Mention.
Congratulations to Jacob Johnson on being drafted by the Texas Rangers. We're excited and happy for Jacob and his family — this is truly a dream come true for any kid who grows up playing the game and chasing the dream," head coach Michael Avalon said. "Watching him work, grow and mature over the past year has been special. You just knew it was different. Jacob's ceiling is so high, and he will continue to get better and better. Now, we get to watch and support him as he works to become a big leaguer. Best of luck, Jacob. We are proud of you."
KK CLARK
Clark had a season for the record books after transferring from Mississippi State. In 2025, Clark went 12-2 in 18 starts, striking out 116 batters and walking just 22. His 116 batters were the second most in a single season in program history. He finished the year with a 1.84 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP across 88 innings pitched.
He was named First Team All-MACCC, MACCC Pitcher of the Year, NJCAA First Team All-America and was the NJCAA World Series Outstanding Pitcher of the Tournament.
"We are very proud of the year KK had for us, and to see it end with him being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles is truly special," Avalon said. "Congratulations to KK and his family. He's the ultimate competitor. A young man who faced challenges along the way but remained strong in his faith and belief in himself. We know he'll continue to impress as he moves forward in his career and works to become a big leaguer."
CONNOR WARE
Although Ware battled injuries in each of his seasons as a Wildcat, he still made an incredible impact. Between the 2023-24 seasons, he tallied a 1.69 ERA and 49 strikeouts through 32 innings pitched. He ended his Wildcat career with a 3-0 record and two saves. He then took his talents to LSU, where he appeared in 16 games, starting six and holding a 4-1 record.
"We are so thankful and excited for Conner Ware and his family on being drafted by the New York Mets. It's truly specialto have watched both Ware brothers play here at Pearl River and now see them both get the opportunity to pursue professional baseball," Avalon said. "We can't thank their family enough for trusting us and believing in our program. The most exciting part for Conner is knowing that some of his best days in baseball are still ahead of him, and we're beyond excited to watch him continue working toward the big leagues."
LANDEN PAYNE
Payne was an electric reliever in two seasons as a Wildcat, playing a major role in Pearl River's run to a 2022 NJCAA National Championship victory. Across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Payne earned three saves and struck out 62 batters over 40 2/3 innings. Payne has spent the last two seasons, and he exploded during the 2025 season. He appeared in 20 games, holding a 2.76 ERA in 32 2/3 innings and striking out 47 batters.
"What a special day for the Payne family, and what a blessing to see all of Landen's hard work pay off in being drafted by the Chicago White Sox," Avalon said. "Landen is a fierce competitor who shows up every day with a blue-collar attitude, determined to outwork and outcompete everyone around him. It's been incredible to watch his growth, and now we're excited to see that same mindset on the biggest stage as he chases his dream."
PRCC AND THE PROS
With today's four selections, Pearl River has had 34 former players selected in the MLB draft since 1983. Other drafted players include: Jay Reeves (2nd round | 1983 | Atlanta Braves), Todd Russell (28th | 1989 | Oakland Athletics), Greg Elliot (56th | 1989 | Chicago White Sox), Brett Rossier (32nd | 1991 | New York Mets), Wendell Magee (12th | 1994 | Philadelphia Phillies), John Blank (24th | 1995 | Minnesota Twins), Nick Tisone (24th | 2002 | Houston Astros), Rhyne Hughes (50th | 2003 | Pittsburgh Pirates), Chad Catalano (32nd | 2003 | San Diego Padres), Nick Tisone (19th | 2003 | Kansas City Royals), Corey Bass (47th | 2004 | Houston Astros), Craig Rodrigues (31st | 2004 | Tampa Bay Rays), Thomas Royals (22nd | 2004 | Detroit Tigers), Rhyne Hughes (8th | 2004 | Tampa Bay Rays), PJ Treadaway (42nd | 2005 | Washington Nationals), Kyle Maxie (28th | 2007 | New York Mets), Pat Daughtery (12th | 2009 | St. Louis Cardinals), Christian Talley (26th | 2013 | Tampa Bay Rays), Brandon Fry (18th | 2013 | San Diego Padres), Braxton Lee (12th | 2014 | Tampa Bay Rays), Taylor Byrd (7th | 2014 | Seattle Mariners), Ryan Deemes (36th | 2015 | Houston Astros), Jacob Taylor (4th | 2015 | Pittsburgh Pirates), Zach Clark (19th | 2016 | Milwaukee Brewers), Simon 'Meaux' Landry (22nd | 2018 | Los Angeles Dodgers), Dexter Jordan (16th | 2019 | Houston Astros), Colby White (6th | 2019 | Tampa Bay Rays), Landon Harper (14th | 2022 | Atlanta Braves), Bryson Ware (8th | 2023 | Philadelphia Phillies) and Cole Tolbert (18th | 2024 | Boston Red Sox).
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