Southern Miss baseball hit machine Jake Cook has been picked in the MLB Draft.
The Toronto Blue Jays drafted Cook in the third round of the draft with the No. 81 pick. Cook is the second Golden Eagle selected behind pitcher JB Middleton.
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Cook is coming off a stellar season for Southern Miss. The redshirt sophomore outfielder was a second-team All-Sun Belt player. He led the Golden Eagles with a .350 batting average. He tied for the team lead with 83 hits. He had three home runs and 32 RBIs.
Jake Cook picked No. 81 by the Toronto Blue Jays
Cook is eligible to return to Southern Miss but will likely sign based on draft position. He has had an interesting college career so far. After redshirting in 2023, Cook played sparingly in 2024 as a redshirt freshman. He pitched in three games and had a 31.50 ERA before moving to centerfield. He is a raw prospect but has a big ceiling.
Cook was one of the toughest players to strike out in 2025. He had 19 strikeouts in 237 at-bats which was one every 12.5 at-bats. It was the No. 26 mark nationally.
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Sam Hutchens covers sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Toronto Blue Jays draft Southern Miss baseball outfielder Jake Cook