CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — Taj Marchand’s wait wasn’t too long on Saturday.
The James Island shortstop/pitcher was selected with the 33rd overall pick of the Major League Baseball Draft on Saturday by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Marchand, considered one of the best players in the state the last few years, hit .531 with 13 home runs, 45 RBIs, 57 runs scored and also struck out 32 batters in 19.2 innings.
He helped lead the Trojans to 3 straight 5A state championships.
An Ole Miss signee, Marchand has been ranked as one of the top 40 prospects in this draft for most of the season and being taken with the 33rd overall pick comes along with a slotted value of $2.97 million, although he could sign for more or less than that.
Being picked by Tampa has other perks as well. The Rays are the parent club of the Charleston RiverDogs which means Marchand could be taking the field at Riley Park sooner than later.
Marchand held a watch party for the draft in Charleston on Saturday.
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