By Monday, three Georgia underclassmen had signed professional baseball contracts, and it's not likely to end there.
Outfielder Chase Davidson and pitchers Cecil Tanner and Ben Cornwell all accepted pro deals in recent days.
Davidson was probably the biggest surprise. He signed with the Houston Astros even after being drafted in the 41st round. Davidson previously was drafted by the Astros in the third round out of Milton High School but chose to play college baseball. He appeared in 51 of the Bulldogs' 65 games this past season, with 38 starts, and hit .278 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs.
Cornwell signed a free-agent contract with the Seattle Mariners having already graduated from UGA. He was a midweek reliever and occasional starter who played two seasons at for the Bulldogs after transferring from Georgia Perimeter College. He was 2-4 with an 8.54 ERA in 45 1/3 innings.
Tanner, a 6-foot-6, 255-pound junior, signed with the Oakland A's, who took him in the 23rd round. The hard-throwing right-hander has struggled with control. He pitched just 3 2/3 innings this past season with 10 walks and three strikeouts. He had 81 walks in 64 innings while at UGA.
Junior outfielder Zach Cone was taken in the first round of the supplemental draft by the Texas Rangers and is expected to sign a deal before the Aug. 15 deadline. Bulldogs recruit Dante Bichette Jr. of Orlando was a first-round selection and also is expected to attract a significant money offer.
Georgia has seven current players and 11 recruits who have been drafted.
CHIP TOWERS
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