3 former Southern Nevada prep standouts selected in MLB draft

Oregon outfielder Mason Neville, who played high school baseball at Basic, was one of three local players selected on the second day of the MLB draft on Monday.

Neville, 21, was picked in the fourth round (No. 114 overall) by the Cincinnati Reds. The other locals drafted were Arizona right-handed pitcher Hunter Alberini, who played at Centennial and the College of Southern Nevada, and Oregon first baseman Jacob Walsh, a Desert Oasis alum.

Alberini was selected in the 11th round (No. 338 overall) by the Kansas City Royals, while Walsh went in the 15th round (No. 441 overall) to the Washington Nationals.

Neville, listed at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, was previously selected by the Reds in the 18th round of the 2022 draft after a standout career at Basic. He hit .383 his senior season, earned first-team All-Southern Nevada honors and helped the Wolves win the 5A Southern Region and state titles.

He was high school teammates with Tate Southisene, who was picked in the first round (No. 22 overall) by the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.

Neville elected to go to college at Arkansas instead of turning pro in 2022. He transferred to Oregon in 2024. Neville hit .290 with 26 home runs in 57 games last season and was named to the All-Big Ten first team.

Alberini, 23, spent two seasons at Umpqua Community College (Oregon) after graduating from Centennial. He then played for CSN in 2023 and 2024 before transferring to Arizona. Alberini, a 6-2, 206-pound right-hander, posted a 3.48 ERA in 18 relief appearances for the Wildcats last season.

Walsh, 22, was named to the All-Big Ten first team last season after hitting .332 with 19 home runs in 58 games for Oregon.

Walsh, listed at 6-4, 225 pounds, helped Desert Oasis win the 4A state title in 2019 and was a first-team All-Southern Nevada selection in 2021.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.