Five Rebels, Two Signees Earn Invitations to 2026 MLB Draft Combine

OXFORD, Miss. — As Major League Baseball’s annual draft approaches, a group of Ole Miss players will have one more opportunity to showcase their talents in front of professional scouts.

Five Rebels have been invited to participate in the 2026 MLB Draft Combine, which will be held June 23-25 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. The event brings together many of the nation’s top draft-eligible prospects for workouts, testing, interviews, and on-field evaluations less than three weeks before the MLB Draft begins.

Among those receiving invitations from Ole Miss are pitchers Cade Townsend, Taylor Rabe, Hudson Calhoun, Wil Libbert, and Landon Koenig.

The combine serves as a valuable opportunity for players to strengthen their draft profiles while meeting directly with representatives from all 30 Major League organizations.

Townsend enters the event as the Rebels’ most highly regarded professional prospect. The right-hander spent the season as a weekend starter and finished with a 5-3 record and a 3.94 ERA. He is currently ranked No. 27 overall by MLB Pipeline and is widely projected as a potential first-round selection.

Several recent mock drafts have linked Townsend to the Chicago Cubs with the 23rd overall pick.

Rabe, another key member of Ole Miss’ weekend rotation throughout the season, posted a 5-3 record and a 3.55 ERA while helping lead the Rebels back to the College World Series. MLB Pipeline currently ranks him as the No. 90 prospect in the draft class.

Libbert, who began the year in the starting rotation before transitioning to the bullpen, is also among the ranked prospects invited to Phoenix. The right-hander finished the season with a 2-2 record and a 6.19 ERA and is listed as the No. 179 prospect by MLB Pipeline.

Calhoun and Koenig round out the Ole Miss contingent. Calhoun appeared in 22 games and finished with a 5-4 record and a 4.05 ERA, while Koenig made 17 relief appearances and compiled a 3-1 mark with a 6.35 ERA.

Ole Miss’ future is represented at the combine as well.

Two Rebel signees — shortstops Cole Prosek and Taj Marchand — also received invitations.

Prosek, a standout from Magnolia Heights School in Senatobia, Mississippi, is considered one of the premier prep prospects in the country. MLB Pipeline ranks him No. 33 overall in the class, placing him firmly in the conversation as a potential early-round selection.

Marchand, who stars at James Island Charter High School in Charleston, South Carolina, is also among the nation’s top high school talents. He enters the combine ranked No. 46 overall by MLB Pipeline.

The 2026 MLB Draft is scheduled for July 11-12 in Philadelphia, where several current and future Rebels will hope to hear their names called.