Posted: Jan 20, 2025
MUD MONSTERS SIGN BRAYLAND SKINNER AS FIRST-EVER PLAYER
PEARL, MS — The Mississippi Mud Monsters have signed the first player in franchise history. Joining the team and donning the teal and aquamarine is College World Series champion and Mississippi native Brayland Skinner.
Skinner is entering his second season of professional baseball after spending 2024 with the Pioneer League Champion Yolo (CA) High Wheelers, where he hit .298 with 8 home runs and 41 stolen bases in 90 games. Known for his speed and versatility, Skinner was a member of the 2021 National Champion Mississippi State Bulldogs. Standing at 5'11" and weighing 185 pounds, the Lake Cormorant, Mississippi native scored the winning run as the Bulldogs defeated the Texas Longhorns for a spot in the College World Series. Before joining Mississippi State, he starred at Northwest Mississippi Community College, where he led the league in stolen bases and on-base percentage. Skinner also spent one season at the University of Memphis in 2023, where he hit .270 with 22 stolen bases.
"Brayland Skinner is the sort of player that the Mississippi Mud Monsters can build around. Fast and versatile, he brings a ton of excitement to the diamond," said Mud Monsters Manager Jay Pecci. "As the first MLB Partner League team in the Deep South, players like Brayland see Mississippi as a chance to come home and compete for championships."
The Mud Monsters have also signed former DeSoto Central star Kyle Booker and MLB Partner League veteran Ryan Cash.
Booker is entering his first full season in professional baseball after spending 2024 playing collegiate baseball with Oral Roberts University before signing with the Billings (MT) Mustangs of the Pioneer League. At Oral Roberts, Booker hit .317 with 7 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases in 60 games. He stole 7 bases in 27 games with the Mustangs. In high school at DeSoto Central, Booker led his team to a pair of state titles at Trustmark Park. Ranked as the No. 7 player in Mississippi and the No. 28 outfielder in the nation by Perfect Game, Booker spent three seasons at the University of Tennessee.
MLB Partner League veteran infielder Ryan Cash joins the Mud Monsters from the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Frontier League, where he hit .350 with 34 RBIs and 8 stolen bases in 81 games. He spent his collegiate career at Oklahoma State and Oral Roberts. His extensive professional experience includes stints with the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association, the Glacier Range Riders, and the Missoula PaddleHeads of the Pioneer League.
"Today is a historic day at Trustmark Park as we start building our team with talented and energetic players who will represent Mississippi well," said Pecci. "Mud Monster Nation will be proud of those who take the field at Trustmark Park as we put our sights on a Frontier League Championship."
