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Washington State first baseman Sam Brown, third baseman Cam Magee selected on final day of MLB draft

Washington State first baseman Sam Brown rounds the bases after hitting a home run during a 2023 game at Bailey-Brayton Field in Pullman. Brown was selected Tuesday by the Los Angeles Angels in the 12th round of the MLB draft. (WSU Athletics)
From staff reports

Washington State baseball standouts Sam Brown and Cam Magee were selected Tuesday on the final day of the MLB draft.

Brown, the Cougs’ primary first baseman and top batter last season, went to the Los Angeles Angels in the 12th round (354th overall). Magee, who mostly played third base for WSU, was picked up in the 18th round (549th overall) by the Atlanta Braves.

Brown, a junior, landed on the All-Pac-12 team this year after hitting .374 during his first season at WSU. He started all 52 games – 35 at first base, 14 at designated hitter and three in right field – and led the Cougars in batting average, OPS (1.155), RBI (58), total bases (126), multiple-hit games (22) and multiple-RBI games (19). Brown ranked second on the team with 11 home runs and 19 doubles.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder from Petaluma, California, tied for fifth in the conference in batting average, and ranked sixth in the Pac-12 in doubles, sixth in on-base percentage (.481), seventh in slugging percentage (.674), 10th in RBI, and led the league with 19 hit-by-pitches. Defensively, Brown committed just one error all season.

Prior to WSU, Brown played two seasons at the University of Portland. He earned an All-West Coast Conference honorable mention nod in 2022 after hitting eight doubles and six homers. Brown was named a freshman All-American in 2021 after batting .315 with 16 doubles and five home runs.

Magee, a sophomore from Anaheim, California, made 48 starts – 40 at third base, five at shortstop and three at second base – for WSU last season during his first year with the program. He hit .297 with 31 runs, nine doubles, three home runs and 36 RBI.

Before WSU, Magee played one season at Arizona State. He hit .185 with three doubles and 14 RBI in 33 appearances.

WSU had three players selected in the MLB draft – centerfielder Jonah Advincula was picked by the Cleveland Guardians on Monday in the eighth round.

The draftees have the option of returning to WSU. The deadline to sign an MLB contract is Aug. 1.