Which Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball players could be selected in 2022 MLB Draft

Cory Diaz, Lafayette Daily Advertiser
·2 min read
Louisiana sophomore reliever Bo Bonds (2) pitching earlier in the 2022 season.

For the first time in six seasons, Louisiana advanced to NCAA regionals in 2022.

The Ragin' Cajuns (37-23) went 1-2 during the College Station Regional. UL went on a tear as a No. 4 seed to win the Sun Belt Tournament championship to clinch an automatic bid. It was the best season the program had has in years.

For many of the Cajuns, the next step will be to hear their names called in this year's MLB Draft, which takes place July 17-19. The league will hold its 20-round draft over those three days with more than 600 college and high school prospects looking to be drafted.

Which Louisiana players could be among those selected in this year’s Draft? Let’s examine:

Bo Bonds

Bonds, coach Matt Deggs’ horse out of the bullpen, is the Ragin’ Cajuns top pro prospect. The junior right-hander’s fastball is MLB-ready and the way he utilized his breaking ball this season has been a big-plus for his professional upside.

Bonds finished the 2022 season with a 3.11 ERA, a stellar 1.20 WHIP with a 5-3 record and 83 strikeouts in 55 innings.

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Connor Kimple

Kimple has been one of the steadier bats in Louisiana’s lineup the past three seasons. The senior has been a career .297 hitter and his power has improved, belting nine home runs in 2022. He ended this season with 10 doubles, five triples, nine stolen bases along with 36 RBIs and 37 runs.

An Oklahoma State signee out of high school, Kimple has versatility defensively in the outfield.

Max Marusak

Speed and athleticism are what separate Marusak from many of his competitors. The former top-rated high school outfielder in Texas, Marusak signed with Texas Tech and immediately made an impact on a team that advanced to the semifinals of the College World Series.

With the Cajuns this season, Marusak pieced together a solid junior campaign, hitting .253 while scoring 40 runs and stealing a team-best 21 bases.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball players that could be selected in 2022 MLB Draft