Redan’s James Nelson and Stephenson’s Dexter “DJ” Neal got phone calls from Major League Baseball teams on Wednesday as they were chosen in the 2015 MLB Draft.
Nelson (6-2, 180, SS) hit .405 (30-74) during the regular season with 16 RBI, 13 doubles, 1 triple and 1 homerun while playing shortstop for the Raiders this spring. Nelson was chosen in the 18th round with the 531st pick of the draft by the Boston Red Sox.
He also became the 18th Raider to be selected in the draft since the 2004 MLB Draft when his uncle and current Milwaukee Brewer organization player Christopher Nelson was chosen in the first round by the Colorado Rockies.
Neal (6-3, 201, OF), a South Carolina Gamecock wide receiver signee in February, finished the year leading the DeKalb County stats with a .571 (28-49) average with 39 runs, 28 RBI, 9 doubles, 3 triples and 5 homeruns while playing centerfield for the Jaguars. He was picked up by the hometown Atlanta Braves in the 32nd round with 960th pick of the draft.
The 2014 football season had Neal catching passes for the Jaguars to the tune of 24 receptions for 386 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Neal became just the second Jaguar to be drafted and the first since Geoffrey Thomas went to the Houston Astros with the 371st pick (12th round) of the 2009 draft.