MIDDLEBURG – Two Middleburg area baseball athletes were selected in the 2017 Major League Baseball draft in May with former Lakeside Junior High ace pitcher A.J. Labas and Middleburg High graduate Pearson McMahan both chosen for the prowess as pitchers.

Labas, who was part of a state title run at Trinity Christian Academy after leaving Lakeside, was chosed by the New York Mets in the 17th round as the 517th overall pick as a right handed pitcher. Labas, who has commited to play at the University of North Florida, is heralded as a big, strong hurler with a 92-93 miles per hour fastball.

McMahan, also an athletic flamethrower while under the tutelage of Alan Burnsed at Middleburg High School, went on to have a stellar two years with at St. Johns River State College. McMahan was drafted in the fourth round as the 116th overall pic by the Colorado Rockies. After St. Johns, McMahan made a commit to play at Mississippi State University. At St. Johns, McMahan finished with a 2.76 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 42.1 innings as a relief pitcher.

On July 6, McMahan was assigned to the Boise Hawks in the Rockiers minor league system.

Arias in Arizona

Oakleaf High graduate Skylar Arias is in the middle of his summer season with the Arizona Indians in the Cleveland Indians minor league system after a short career at Tallahassee Community College. Arias, drafted in the 24th round in 2016, is currently at 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA in 19.1 innings with 18 hits and 20 strikeouts against 83 batters. Arizona went 20-8 in the first half of the season and is currently 11-17 for the second half of the summer season.