Former Denham Springs High standout Mac Sceroler earned first-team All-Southland Conference honors.
HAMMOND -- Denham Springs native and DSHS graduate Mac Sceroler, Southeastern Louisiana's leader in wins this past season, will forgo a chance at professional baseball and return to the Lions for his junior year.
Draft eligible as a sophomore, the right-hander from Denham Springs, Louisiana, was selected in the 36th round (1067th pick overall) of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.
“I had my number set, and if they couldn't offer what I was looking for, I wouldn't take it,” Sceroler said. “They made an offer, but I decided to turn it down and come back to school.
“This summer, I went up to the Cape Cod League. I learned a lot, especially about the mental aspects of being a pitcher, and improved on some things. Now I'm ready to bring that back to school and do some big things at Southeastern this coming season.”
Sceroler finished his sophomore season with a 10-4 record and 2.25 ERA in 96 innings pitched. He struck out 93 batters, walking 33, and holding opponents to a .231 batting average. The right-hander led both the team and Southland Conference in wins, becoming the 11th pitcher in school history to earn double-digit victories in a single season. He also led the staff in strikeouts and was among the Top-5 in the conference in several statistical categories.
“This is a big day for our program,” head coach Matt Riser said. “To get a guy back of Mac's caliber speaks volumes for our program and the direction we are headed. Mac's decision to come back and play for championships tells you a lot about the competitor he is. Mac will obviously play a vital role in taking our program to another level. It's a great time to be a Lion!”
As part of the largest draft class in program history, Sceroler helped lead Southeastern to a 40-21 record in 2016, its second-consecutive 40-win season, and the program's first at-large bid to the NCAA postseason.
Ten Lions have been drafted in the Riser era, with this year's group joining pitcher Andro Čutura (Twins, 2014), outfielder Andrew Godbold (Dodgers, 2014), pitcher Jake Johnson (Red, 2015), pitcher Kyle Keller (Marlins, 2015), pitcher Tate Scioneaux (Pirates, 2015) and infielder Jameson Fisher (White Sox, 2016), pitcher Kyle Cedotal (Rockies, 2016), pitcher Domenick Carlini (Twins, 2016) and pitcher Pat Cashman (White Sox, 2016).
Southeastern has previously churned out multiple drafts picks in 1985, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2005, 2011 and 2012.
