PHOTO: Alcorn State sophomore sensation and All-American Corey Wimberly (above) was picked in the 6th round by the Colorado Rookies. Photo courtesy of Alcorn State University
Wimberly goes in the sixth round to Colorado (06/15/2005)
Courtesy of the The Mississippi Link
• Player batted .440 in his two seasons at Alcorn State
NEW YORK - With the sixth pick in the sixth round the Colorado Rockies selected Alcorn State sophomore sensation and All-American Corey Wimberly as the 177th overall pick in the 2005 Major League Baseball (MLB) first-year player draft.
Wimberly, who was projected to be picked somewhere in between the fifth and 12th round, fell right into the hands of the team that wanted him most. The Jacksonville, Fla. native became a household name with an outstanding 2005 campaign and finished the season ranked first in national batting average (.462). He hit .472 over the course of regular season competition. Wimberly ended the year ranked second in toughest to strike out (24.6 AB), third in steals (1.11) and runs scored (1.45).
The sophomore earned a plethora of awards over the course of the year. Coming into the season, he handled the pressure of being named 2005 SWAC Pre-Season Player of the Year with ease as he dominated the conference in nearly every offensive statistical category. As a result he was named both SWAC Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Hitter of the Year, in addition to claiming First-Team Infield honors. He most recently earned the most prestigious honor of his career by being named a Louisville Slugger First-Team All-American.
Wimberly is currently playing summer ball for the Torrington Twisters in Torrington, Conn. “It’s an absolute sigh of relief because so many scouts were telling me that they’re going to pick me here or there,” Wimberly said. “It’s interesting that it was the Rockies because they were not blowing up my phone the way some other team representatives were. I was hoping to fall somewhere around the sixth round because it was more of the in-between number since people were telling me that I would fall somewhere between the fourth and 12th round.”
Head coach Willie “Rat” McGowan was ecstatic upon hearing the news.
“We were under the impression that he would go higher than he did, but it’s a pleasure and blessing that he went as low as he did,” McGowan said. “It not only says something about Corey, but the program. It shows that if you have talent, you can go to any school.”
Wimberly will now undergo contract negotiation with the Rockies organization. If negotiations are successful, he will finish his career with a .440 batting average, 124 hits, 107 runs scored, 57 RBI and 82 stolen bases in 80 games played.
Wimberly getting drafted is a big deal for the Alcorn State Baseball program, who has not seen a MLB draftee since the 1991 season where Greenville, Miss. native Keiver Campbell went to the Toronto Blue Jays in the 12th round. The Rockies hope to have him playing for their farm club in Casper, Wyoming as soon as possible.
“He brought a ton of publicity to the university this year,” McGowan said. “He is a smart kid and we want to let him know that we will do whatever is necessary to ensure he finishes his education at Alcorn State.”
