Mississippi State right-handed pitcher KC Hunt was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 12th round of July's MLB Draft, but the junior did not come to an agreement before Monday's deadline and is expected to return to Mississippi State for his senior year.

The New Jersey native was used sporadically as a sophomore in 2021 as he pitched for a 4.80 ERA in 15 innings and was slated to take on a more featured role in 2022.

Hunt was a standout during the fall and in the preseason for Mississippi State and earned a spot in the weekend rotation before injuries got the best of him. The righty suffered an injury in his first start of the season against Long Beach State and would proceed to miss the next six weeks.

When Hunt returned at the beginning of April, he flashed his potential with a 2.70 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 13.1 innings for the month and held the opponent scoreless in five of his seven appearances. He began to hit a wall in May and allowed ten earned runs in his next 5.2 innings, and finished the year with an ERA of 7.46.

Earlier this summer, Hunt rose up draft boards with some strong performances for the Trenton Thunder of the MLB Draft League, where he had a 2.65 ERA and a 26:3 strikeout to walk ratio.

It is uncertain what role Hunt will play on the 2023 team, but he will likely be in the mix for the third weekend spot, with Cade Smith and Landon Gartman expected to take the first two. Whether Hunt is part of the rotation or the bullpen, he should have an important impact, and Mississippi State should be excited about what he can do when fully healthy.