University of Georgia Athletics
Photo by: Conor Dillon/UGAAA
Six Bulldogs Invited To MLB Draft Combine
June 19, 2026 | Baseball
ATHENS, Ga.-----Six Georgia Bulldogs have been invited to Major League Baseball's Draft Combine that will be held June 23-26 at Chase Field in Phoenix, MLB announced recently.
Outfielder/pitcher Kenny Ishikawa, catcher Daniel Jackson, outfielder/infielder Rylan Lujo, infielder Tre Phelps, pitcher Dylan Vigue and pitcher Joey Volchko received an invitation to this year's combine. They are among the 335 prospective draftees, including 195 from college and another 140 high schoolers who will work out at the event. This marks the fourth straight year the event will be held at the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In 2025, 256 of the 309 players who participated in the combine were selected in the MLB Draft, including 87 of the first 100 picks, per MLB.
The combine will provide an opportunity for players to participate in a series of medical and performance assessments as well as educational programming designed to prepare them for careers in professional baseball. All players will have the opportunity to participate in a pro-style showcase workout, as well as strength and performance assessments. Additionally, high school players will have the option to participate in a live game against other high school Combine attendees.
MLB Network will have exclusive coverage live from Chase Field on Tuesday, June 23rd, beginning at 12 p.m. ET. MLB Network will provide analysis and breakdowns as the players undergo their pro-style showcase workout. Interviews with players and Club personnel will be featured as part of the coverage, which will also be streamed live on MLB.TV, MLB.com and in the MLB App. In addition to MLB Network's coverage on June 23rd, the Draft Combine workouts on June 24th will be streamed across MLB's digital platforms.
Ishikawa, a 5-11, 193-pound native of Yokohama, Japan, started 38 games in the field and posted a team-high .475 on base percentage and batted .336 with six doubles, three home runs and 21 RBI. He pitched briefly during the first half of the season, appearing in 10 games with six starts, going 1-1 with a 14.44 ERA. After returning from a broken foot caused when he was hit by a pitch while batting, Ishikawa saw action primarily as a position player. He has already been selected in the 2025 Japanese Professional Baseball Draft, taken in the sixth round by the Orix Buffaloes.
Jackson, a 6-2, 200-pound native of Sandy Springs, Ga., enjoyed one of the finest seasons in collegiate baseball history including by a catcher, winning the Dick Howser Trophy, the Buster Posey Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award and Bobby Bragan Slugger Award. Also, the All-American is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, and the winner of that will be announced later this month. Jackson became only the third player in Division 1 history (and the first catcher) to register at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a season. He is just the third player in SEC history to capture the Triple Crown as he led the league with a .379 batting average, 32 home runs and a school record 87 RBI plus was 26-for-28 in stolen base attempts. He started 67 games with 57 behind the plate where he fielded .997 and 10 as a designated hitter.
Lujo, a first team All-SEC selection, batted .357 with 16 doubles, 14 home runs, 49 RBI and 13 stolen bases. A 6-2, 192-pound native of Coconut Creek, Fla., he played in 60 games with 55 starts and fielded .991 with just one error in 106 total chances. In his first at bat at the CWS, he smashed a two-run home run to lead Georgia to a 7-1 win over No. 6 Texas.
Phelps, a first team All-American at third base, batted .348 with 11 doubles, 19 home runs, 59 RBI and a school record 35 hit-by-pitches. A 6-2, 197-pound native of Atlanta, Ga., he posted a .961 fielding percentage in 65 games, all starts, and was named to SEC All-Defensive team. Phelps delivered the go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth inning of the regional championship victory over Liberty and an RBI-double in the fifth inning of a scoreless contest in an eventual 2-0 win over No. 6 Texas at the College World Series (CWS).
Vigue, a 6-3, 230-pound right-hander from Leominster, Mass., was a member of the rotation and tallied a 4-1 mark and 4.43 ERA in 18 appearances including 16 starts. In 63 innings pitched, he had 77 strikeouts while limiting the opposition to a .216 batting average. Vigue was brilliant in his lone start at the CWS, combining on a four-hit shutout of No. 6 Texas. He tossed four innings with eight strikeouts in a 2-0 Bulldog win to eliminate the Longhorns.
Volchko, a 6-4, 225-pound native of Visalia, Calif., served as the ace with a team-high 18 starts and an 11-2 record with a 3.68 ERA. In 95.1 innings pitched, he tallied 119 strikeouts and opponents hit .234 against him. Volchko's finest start came on the sport's biggest stage, firing a complete game four-hitter with 15 strikeouts to beat No. 6 Texas 7-1 at the CWS. He earned third team All-America honors by the NCBWA.
Georgia advanced to the semifinals of the CWS and finished with a 53-14 record. The Bulldogs claimed the SEC regular season and tournament titles and then swept through an NCAA Athens Regional and Super Regional to reach the CWS for the first time since 2008.
A reminder that fan voting will again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award. Baseball fans can vote for Georgia's Daniel Jackson on GoldenSpikesAward.com, through June 28.
Outfielder/pitcher Kenny Ishikawa, catcher Daniel Jackson, outfielder/infielder Rylan Lujo, infielder Tre Phelps, pitcher Dylan Vigue and pitcher Joey Volchko received an invitation to this year's combine. They are among the 335 prospective draftees, including 195 from college and another 140 high schoolers who will work out at the event. This marks the fourth straight year the event will be held at the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In 2025, 256 of the 309 players who participated in the combine were selected in the MLB Draft, including 87 of the first 100 picks, per MLB.
The combine will provide an opportunity for players to participate in a series of medical and performance assessments as well as educational programming designed to prepare them for careers in professional baseball. All players will have the opportunity to participate in a pro-style showcase workout, as well as strength and performance assessments. Additionally, high school players will have the option to participate in a live game against other high school Combine attendees.
MLB Network will have exclusive coverage live from Chase Field on Tuesday, June 23rd, beginning at 12 p.m. ET. MLB Network will provide analysis and breakdowns as the players undergo their pro-style showcase workout. Interviews with players and Club personnel will be featured as part of the coverage, which will also be streamed live on MLB.TV, MLB.com and in the MLB App. In addition to MLB Network's coverage on June 23rd, the Draft Combine workouts on June 24th will be streamed across MLB's digital platforms.
Ishikawa, a 5-11, 193-pound native of Yokohama, Japan, started 38 games in the field and posted a team-high .475 on base percentage and batted .336 with six doubles, three home runs and 21 RBI. He pitched briefly during the first half of the season, appearing in 10 games with six starts, going 1-1 with a 14.44 ERA. After returning from a broken foot caused when he was hit by a pitch while batting, Ishikawa saw action primarily as a position player. He has already been selected in the 2025 Japanese Professional Baseball Draft, taken in the sixth round by the Orix Buffaloes.
Jackson, a 6-2, 200-pound native of Sandy Springs, Ga., enjoyed one of the finest seasons in collegiate baseball history including by a catcher, winning the Dick Howser Trophy, the Buster Posey Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award and Bobby Bragan Slugger Award. Also, the All-American is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, and the winner of that will be announced later this month. Jackson became only the third player in Division 1 history (and the first catcher) to register at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a season. He is just the third player in SEC history to capture the Triple Crown as he led the league with a .379 batting average, 32 home runs and a school record 87 RBI plus was 26-for-28 in stolen base attempts. He started 67 games with 57 behind the plate where he fielded .997 and 10 as a designated hitter.
Lujo, a first team All-SEC selection, batted .357 with 16 doubles, 14 home runs, 49 RBI and 13 stolen bases. A 6-2, 192-pound native of Coconut Creek, Fla., he played in 60 games with 55 starts and fielded .991 with just one error in 106 total chances. In his first at bat at the CWS, he smashed a two-run home run to lead Georgia to a 7-1 win over No. 6 Texas.
Phelps, a first team All-American at third base, batted .348 with 11 doubles, 19 home runs, 59 RBI and a school record 35 hit-by-pitches. A 6-2, 197-pound native of Atlanta, Ga., he posted a .961 fielding percentage in 65 games, all starts, and was named to SEC All-Defensive team. Phelps delivered the go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth inning of the regional championship victory over Liberty and an RBI-double in the fifth inning of a scoreless contest in an eventual 2-0 win over No. 6 Texas at the College World Series (CWS).
Vigue, a 6-3, 230-pound right-hander from Leominster, Mass., was a member of the rotation and tallied a 4-1 mark and 4.43 ERA in 18 appearances including 16 starts. In 63 innings pitched, he had 77 strikeouts while limiting the opposition to a .216 batting average. Vigue was brilliant in his lone start at the CWS, combining on a four-hit shutout of No. 6 Texas. He tossed four innings with eight strikeouts in a 2-0 Bulldog win to eliminate the Longhorns.
Volchko, a 6-4, 225-pound native of Visalia, Calif., served as the ace with a team-high 18 starts and an 11-2 record with a 3.68 ERA. In 95.1 innings pitched, he tallied 119 strikeouts and opponents hit .234 against him. Volchko's finest start came on the sport's biggest stage, firing a complete game four-hitter with 15 strikeouts to beat No. 6 Texas 7-1 at the CWS. He earned third team All-America honors by the NCBWA.
Georgia advanced to the semifinals of the CWS and finished with a 53-14 record. The Bulldogs claimed the SEC regular season and tournament titles and then swept through an NCAA Athens Regional and Super Regional to reach the CWS for the first time since 2008.
A reminder that fan voting will again play a part in the Golden Spikes Award. Baseball fans can vote for Georgia's Daniel Jackson on GoldenSpikesAward.com, through June 28.
Players Mentioned
LHP/OF
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C/OF
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INF
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INF/OF
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RHP
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RHP
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