Moose are not a native species of the Rocky Mountains as the largest cervid mammal in North America doesn't thrive in the highest elevations. However, on Monday, a different type of moose was claimed by a city in the heart of the western mountain range as the Colorado Rockies selected South Carolina baseball catcher Cole Messina with the 77th pick in the MLB Draft.
An early selection in the 3rd round of the draft, Messina was chosen with the third pick of the round and will become one of the catching prospects in the organization immediately.
One of the best players ever to don a catcher's mask for the South Carolina baseball program, Messina will bring real power from the right side of the plate (something that should play up with the Major League club in Denver, Colorado and the Triple-A squad in Albuquerque, New Mexico thanks to the elevation). He is also a plus-athlete at the catcher position and is a good defender behind the plate.
In the Rockies organization, Messina will be reunited with former Gamecock teammates Braylen Wimmer and Jack Mahoney, both of whom have played extremely well in their first full season of professional ball with the Fresno Grizzlies, the franchise's Single-A team. Mahoney is ranked as the 19th-best prospect in the organization, and it is worth noting that his best success as a Gamecock pitcher came with Messina as his backstop.
Messina joined South Carolina baseball signee PJ Morlando (Round 1, Pick 16 by the Miami Marlins) as Gamecocks who heard their name called in the early portions of the 2024 MLB Draft, and, like Morlando, his early selection likely will mean the beginning of his professional career. However, it is worth mentioning that Columbia's favorite Moose has another year of college eligibility to use if he elects to return to school instead of joining the Rockies organization.