Former East Mississippi baseball standout LeDarious Clark selected by Texas Rangers in 12th round of MLB Draft

For the second consecutive year, East Mississippi Community College was represented in the Major League Baseball Draft. Former EMCC center fielder LeDarious Clark was a 12th-round pick and the 348th overall selection by the Texas Rangers during this week's MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Former East Mississippi baseball standout LeDarious Clark selected by Texas Rangers in 12th round of MLB Draft
June 11, 2015

SCOOBA – For the second consecutive year, East Mississippi Community College was represented in the Major League Baseball Draft.  Former EMCC center fielder LeDarious Clark was a 12th-round pick and the 348th overall selection by the Texas Rangers during this week's MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Following two seasons as EMCC's starting center fielder, Clark played this past season at the University of West Florida, an NCAA Division II school headquartered in Pensacola.  As a junior for the 30-18 UWF Argonauts, he batted .329 with a .429 on-base percentage and .575 slugging percentage.  Clark earned 2015 All-Gulf South Conference Second Team honors with eight home runs, 39 RBIs, 21 stolen bases and a league-most six triples.

"East Mississippi was a good experience for me," Clark recalled about his playing days on the Scooba campus.  "Coach (Chris) Rose always told me how it was and made it clear on what I had to do.  And Coach (Jarrod) Parks also helped me a lot and still does on what I need to do to improve my game."

A former multi-sport, all-state standout at Southeast Lauderdale High School, Clark hit .317 and compiled a .505 slugging percentage with 19 career doubles, 10 home runs and 33 stolen bases during his two seasons at East Mississippi.  Tabbed during the 2014 preseason as the nation's No. 40 junior college baseball prospect by the nationally renowned baseball scouting service Perfect Game, Clark garnered NJCAA All-Region 23 and MACJC All-State First Team honors after batting .325 as a sophomore with 21 extra-base hits, 45 runs scored and 30 RBIs for head coach Chris Rose's 32-13 MACJC North Division champions.

"LeDarious is freakishly athletic with a combination of speed and power," EMCC's Rose noted.  "He played his best in the biggest moments of our championship season during his sophomore year.  His tools and competitiveness are unquestionable."      

A year ago, middle infielder Chase Nyman became East Mississippi Community College's first Major League Baseball draftee in 16 years by going in the 32nd round.  The Pascagoula product was the 951st overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners.   

Clark becomes East Mississippi's highest selection in the June Amateur Draft since pitcher Tom Hostetler was chosen in the eighth round (204th overall) of the 1987 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants after completing his collegiate career at Delta State University.