Georgia senior pitcher Andrew Gist was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the ninth round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft Tuesday.
 
 
Gist, a 5-10, 196-pound native of Cumming, Ga., served as Georgia’s SEC Friday night starter this past season, posting a 3-4 record and a team-best 3.80 ERA. He appeared in 17 games with 11 starts for a total of 73.1 innings as the team went 25-32 and advanced to the SEC Tournament. He clinched Georgia’ spot in the postseason when he provided a career-high eight innings in a 6-3 road win over No. 30 South Carolina. Also, he struck out a career-high 10 in six innings as part of a combined 3-0 shutout of Missouri this past April.
 
 
Gist enjoyed a two-year career with the Bulldogs after spending his first two seasons at Walters State in Tennessee. As a Bulldog, Gist went 6-6 with one save and a 4.35 ERA in 32 appearances including 17 starts. He tallied 116 strikeouts and 33 walks in 122 innings.
 
 
Georgia has a string of 44 straight seasons with at least one player signing a professional contract. In 2016, six Bulldogs were drafted and began their professional career.
 
 
The MLB draft began Monday with the first two rounds while Tuesday’s slate featured rounds three-10. On Tuesday, the Atlanta Braves in the second round selected Bulldog signee Drew Waters, an ALL-USA First Team outfielder out of Etowah High School. The draft concludes Wednesday with rounds 11-40. The MLB signing deadline for underclassmen and high school seniors selected in this year’s draft is July 15.
 
 
Bulldogs In The 2017 MLB Draft
*Drew Waters, OF, 2nd Round (41st overall), Atlanta Braves
Andrew Gist, LHP, 9th Round (259th overall), Tampa Bay Rays
*2017 Georgia signee