Three Ducks land on MLB's latest top 200 draft prospects list

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The Eugene Regional gets underway on Friday, and the Oregon Ducks will begin their march toward a Super Regional against the Yale Bulldogs.

The stands are expected to be littered with green and orange, with the rival Oregon State Beavers in the same bracket. However, several scouts from the next level are also expected to be in attendance to make more evaluations on players ahead of the upcoming MLB draft.

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As the regionals across the country began on Friday, MLB.com released a brand new list of the top 200 draft prospects. Oregon has had a pair of infielders on the list this season, but the latest edition featured some movement, as well as one new Duck joining the list.

Ryan Cooney, Maddox Molony and Cal Scolari all feature on the back half of the top 200 list, with Scolari being the newest entrant. Cooney checked in at No. 133, one spot higher than he was at the beginning of the month. Molony, however, continued to slide, falling from No. 122 to No. 173. He began the season at No. 49. Scolari joined the list for the first time this season at No. 191 after stringing together some impressive starts.

Cooney has played great defense from second base and been a catalyst for Oregon's offense this season atop the lineup. He boasts the highest batting average on the team, hitting to a .338 mark with eight home runs, 19 doubles and 39 RBIs. He has more walks (30) than strikeouts (28) and has been the Ducks' most consistent bat all season long. Cooney has also stolen 13 bases and presents intriguing contact and speed tools at the next level.

Molony heard whispers of being a first-round selection before the season began, but a tough year at the plate has caused his projections to fall. Still, Molony is one of the best defensive shortstops in the country and could stay at the position long term. The local kid from Springfield has hit better lately, including home runs against USC in the final regular-season series and against Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament. Hitting in the middle of the lineup, the Ducks need his bat to continue to improve during the postseason. Molony has swatted 12 homers this season while hitting for a .230 average.

Scolari joins the list after a big finish to the regular season and a dominant showing in the conference tournament. After beginning the year as the Sunday starter, Scolari missed nearly a month with an arm injury. The 6-foot-4 right-hander returned and made two appearances out of the bullpen before rejoining the rotation and leading it against USC. Scolari allowed only one run over five innings. He delivered an encore in Omaha by notching a season-high 10 strikeouts in five innings against Washington in the conference tournament.

The San Diego transfer has pitched to a 2.94 ERA this season and will lead the Ducks into battle against Yale on Friday. Scolari's mid-90s fastball paired with a wipeout slider, which misses bats 42% of the time, has elevated him as a prospect. He also throws a changeup and a slow curveball. If Scolari delivers against the Bulldogs and gets a chance to pitch again later in the postseason, the redshirt sophomore could turn some heads and continue to climb the rankings.

Oregon will take on Yale on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m. PT. The game will stream live on ESPN+.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: MLB's top 200 draft prospects includes three Oregon Ducks

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