Southern Miss outfielder Matthew Etzel was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 10th round.
As the 301st overall pick, Etzel’s draft-slot value is $167,000, according to MLB.com. Etzel is the fourth Southern Miss player to be drafted, with Tanner Hall being chosen earlier in the fourth round, Justin Storm picked in the seventh round and Dustin Dickerson going in the eighth round.
Etzel, a native of League City, Texas, lead off for the Golden Eagles in all 66 games in 2023. The starting center fielder finished the year with a .979 fielding percentage and 135 putouts. At the plate, Etzel earned a .317 batting average and .853 on-base percentage over the year, scoring 55 runs. His 51 RBI were third-most on the team, and his nine sacrifice flies lead the team and the Sun Belt. Etzel tallied 90 hits in his debut season in the Black & Gold, collecting 134 total bases, which included 17 doubles, three triples and seven home runs.
Prior to Southern Miss, Etzel was originally signed with Texas A&M before transferring to Panola College during his sophomore year. At Panola College, Etzel compiled a .391 batting average, drove in 61 RBI and hit 11 home runs in his 90-game career. As a result, Etzel received an invite to the MLB Draft League summer baseball league. The left-handed hitter batted .371, drove in 22 runs, and hit three triples and four home runs while stealing 25 bases. Etzel was rated No. 1 in D1baseball.com’s top 50 impact junior college transfers.
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