Photo: Northeast Mississippi Community College right-handed pitcher Aidan Foeller delivers a warm-up pitch during the Tigers’ matchup with Northwest Mississippi Community College on April 12, 2023. Foeller was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers on day three of the Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft. (Credit: Michael H. Miller/Northeast Public Information)
July 19 – For the first-time ever, Northeast Mississippi Community College had two alumni selected in the same Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft class, including former DeSoto Central pitcher Aidan Foeller
Foeller and Colby Holcombe were taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays, respectively, during the 2024 draft, which was held in conjunction with the MLB All-Star Game in the Dallas metroplex.
The right-handed hurlers made history as the earliest selections by both round and by pick of any former Tigers. Holcombe (Florence, Ala.) is headed north of the border after the Blue Jays took him on day two at number 277 overall in the ninth round.
Foeller (Southaven/DeSoto Central) was one of the first names to come off the board on the final day of the draft. The seven-time world champion Dodgers added him to their system in the 11th round with the 340th pick.
Foeller is coming off a breakout junior campaign at Southern Illinois University. He led the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) with 105 strikeouts, which was also the fourth most in program history.
He ranked inside the top 30 at the NCAA Division I level in both total punch outs and strikeouts per nine innings at 12.17. Foeller became the first Saluqi in nearly two decades to generate triple-digit strikeouts.
The 6-3, 220-pounder secured All-MVC accolades with a 5-3 ledger, 4.52 ERA and a team-best 77.2 innings on the mound. Opponents batted just .249 against Foeller during his lone year at Southern Illinois.
He was an All-MVC Tournament honoree after striking out 10 in the Saluqis’ opening round triumph over Belmont (Tenn.) University. Foeller also allowed no earned runs in three frames out of the bullpen four days later versus top-seeded Indiana State University.
Foeller tied a career-high twice with 12 strikeouts in regular season matchups with the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and Indiana State. He had nine games at Southern Illinois with two or fewer walks.
He appeared in 23 contests with 14 starts over portions of three years at Northeast. His cumulative stats with the Tigers include a 4-6 record, one save, 89 strikeouts, 70 innings and a 6.19 ERA.
Foeller was a big contributor in Northeast’s run to the 2023 NJCAA Region 23 Tournament. The Tigers won seven MACCC games in a row that he participated in, including a season-best eight strikeout effort against Holmes Community College.
“You see how the Dodgers are with developing pitchers and I’m glad to be part of a historic organization that knows what they’re doing,” said Foeller. “I was really blessed to be (at Northeast). I look back on everything that’s transpired throughout my career so far and I truly think it was all part of God’s plan.”
Foeller and Holcombe excelled in the classroom as well. They were both NJCAA All-Academic winners as Tigers and then added scholar-athlete status from their respective four-year conferences.
Foeller and Holcombe bring the totals up to nine professional baseball players and seven draftees in school history.
“I’m just so excited for those guys,” said Tigers head coach Richy Harrelson. “I can’t say enough about their character and integrity and what kind of people they are. This is well deserved for both of these young men.”
Holcombe became Northeast’s inaugural MACCC Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-American following a freshman season in 2022 that caught the attention of pro and collegiate scouts from around the country.
He broke the school record for most strikeouts in a single season with 115 behind a fastball that approached 100 MPH on the radar gun. That averaged out to 9.6 punch outs per game over the course of 12 starts with the Tigers.
