Eagles looking to make some noise in MLB Draft

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (June 5, 2014) – Major League Baseball's annual First-Year Player Draft begins on Thursday evening and continues through Saturday, and for a handful of Tallahassee Community College Eagles, a lifelong dream could be realized over the next 48 hours. 

According to draft experts, three Eagles appear most likely to be in the mix – outfielders Christian Dicks and D.J. McKnight and shortstop Ryne Willard. 

"All three are fine baseball players," said Tallahassee head coach Mike McLeod. "They all want to play professional baseball, and I'm sure they'll get the chance – if not this year, next year or the year after."

The left-handed hitting Dicks, a sophomore from Jacksonville, Fla., batted .348, led the Eagles with eight homers and drove in 54 runs over 56 games in 2014.   

Willard, a sophomore from Smithsburg, Md., hit .275 with seven home runs and 47 RBI in 57 games. 

McKnight, a freshman from Madison, Fla., hit .366 with five home runs and 37 RBI in 51 games. 

McLeod conceded the draft is very unpredictable, filled with many twists and turns between Thursday's first overall pick and the final pick in round 40 on Saturday. Thus, nothing is a sure thing for the Eagles' prospects. 

If the draft doesn't pan out, McKnight, obviously, will return to Tallahassee for his sophomore season in 2015. Willard has already signed a national letter of intent to join the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Dicks is currently unsigned but has a host of schools interested, including the University of Central Florida. 

At least one former Eagle, Nick Deckert, currently a pitcher at Florida Gulf Coast University, is also on the radars of major league teams.