POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A pair of former Polk State Baseball players have found a home with a Major League Baseball (MLB) team.
On Tuesday, former outfielder Nelson Taylor and infielder Dakota Harris were selected in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft.
The Boston Red Sox selected Taylor with the No. 328 overall pick.
Harris was picked seven spots later by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 335th overall pick.
After a relatively quiet freshman year, Taylor enjoyed a breakout campaign for the Eagles in 2023. Taylor was named a first-team All-Suncoast Conference selection, Suncoast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, a second-team All-FCSAA selection, and an FCSAA and Rawlings Gold Glove recipient for his play in centerfield.
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In addition to posting a perfect fielding percentage, Taylor also led the Eagles in most offensive categories, including batting average (.353), doubles (19), home runs (6), RBIs (48), slugging percentage (.620), and on-base percentage (.467). His 31 stolen bases were the most in the state of Florida.
A two-year standout for the Eagles in 2021 and 2022, Harris left as a first-team All-Suncoast Conference selection, and as the FCSAA and NJCAA Defensive Player of the Year. In 2022, he became the first Polk State player to win a Rawlings Gold Glove in a decade. Over his two seasons at Polk State, Harris hit .311 with seven home runs, 84 RBIs, and 37 stolen bases.
Harris spent his junior year at the University of Oklahoma this past season.
Named a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, which annually goes to the nation’s best shortstop, Harris was chosen as an All-Big 12 honorable mention selection. This past season, Harris led the Sooners with a .332 batting average to go along with seven home runs and 48 RBIs.
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With the two selections, Polk State has now had three players drafted in as many years. Since Head Coach Al Corbeil took over in 2011, the Eagles have had
Thirteen players selected, and more than 100 others go on to four-year schools.
“To have players go on to play professional baseball is one of the most rewarding things for a college baseball coach,” Corbeil said. “These young men worked extremely hard, were leaders on the field, and I’m excited to see what’s ahead for each of them.”
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