Middle Georgia State's Burgess joining the pro baseball world (plus update on last month's area picks)

          Central Georgia has added another baseball player to the pro ranks.

          Middle Georgia State’s Chris Burgess signed recently with Baltimore, and has been assigned to the organization’s Gulf Coast League team.

          His debut, at least in uniform, was Monday’s noon game against Baltimore.

          Burgess leaves MGSU after his junior year, helping the Knights to a 42-16 overall record.

          The Chamblee graduate and his twin brother Brent initially signed with Spartanburg Methodist, a junior college, in 2015.

          He batted .300 as an infielder as a freshman, playing in 42 games, then transferring to Gordon State for the 2017 season, batting .205 in 29 games in 2017, with two homers and 17 RBI.

After redshirting, he played in 37 games in 2019 for the Knights, batting .223 with three homers, 25 RBI. He threw out 25 of 45 base-stealers.

          Baltimore is also the home organization for D.L. Hall, who played two years at Houston County and helped the Bears to a state title his junior year.

          Tony Locey, another former Bear, signed recently with St. Louis and is also in the Gulf Coast League. He has thrown an inning, getting a strikeout and giving up a hit.

          Former Mercer pitcher Sawyer Gipson-Long is with Minnesota’s GCL team, and has yet to throw.

          Veterans alum Gabe Holt declared his intent to sign with Milwaukee following Texas Tech’s trip to the College World Series.

          He told reporters during the CWS he was offered $450,000 by the Brewers, compared to the slot value of about $192,000.

          Holt suffered a thumb injury in the second game of the Super Regional and played in only one game in Omaha. He underwent surgery the day after the injury, and has yet to sign.

          Another Central Georgian playing in the GCL is Mount de Sales grad Adam Leverett, picked in the 15th round by Philadelphia, by way of Gordon State.

          The pitcher has 1.2 innings under his belt, with two hits and a strikeout.

          Former Mercer pitcher Kevin Coulter went in the 33rd round to Cleveland, and has been busy in the Arizona League.

          The big righty is 0-1, having been in four games. He’s pitched seven innings, with eight strikeouts, four walks, nine hits, and a 6.43 ERA.