FOND DU LAC, WI – Five Fond du Lac Dock Spiders players were selected in the recent 2024 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The first Dock Spider selected this year was Cole Messina (South Carolina). Messina, a catcher on the 2022 Dock Spiders team, was selected in the third round with the 77th pick by the Colorado Rockies. In addition to Messina, RHP David Hagaman (2022), OF Nick Mitchell (2022), C Bennett Thompson (2022), and RHP Noah Wech (2024) were all selected. Messina entered the draft as a Top-100 prospect, while Mitchell ranks among team leaders in many offensive categories. Wech, a Manitowoc, Wisc. native and Oklahoma State commit, was selected by Milwaukee to mark the first Dock Spider picked by the Brewers. Fond du Lac’s five draft selections this year tied for fifth-most in the Northwoods League, behind St. Cloud (7), Mankato (6), Willmar (6), and Wisconsin Rapids (6). The five selections tied for fifth-most with Green Bay, Kenosha, and Madison. The Northwoods League saw 70 league players selected over the three-day draft. Since 2017, the first year of the Dock Spiders, 43 former players have been drafted including current Miami Marlins catcher Nick Fortes, outfielder Victor Scott and right-handed pitcher Ryan Loutos. Scott and Loutos made their Major League debuts this season with the St. Louis Cardinals. Last year, 10 former Dock Spiders were selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft, the most in team history.
Round Overall Player
3 77 C Cole Messina
4 133 RHP David Hagaman
4 136 OF Nick Mitchell
13 385 C Bennett Thompson
19 575 RHP Noah Wech
