Will Ethridge was in Denver on Tuesday afternoon, making his draft selection from two weeks ago a formality.

The fifth-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies, Ethridge signed with the team on Tuesday. Posting photos with family and the Rockies’ first-round pick, Michael Toglia, on social media, Ethridge’s official signing bonus is not yet public knowledge. However, the slotted value of the No. 159 pick is right around $327,000.

Ole Miss’s Friday night ace, the only Friday games Ethridge didn’t start for the Rebels in 2019 were one game when he was dealing with a blistered finger and two SEC series that started on Thursday. The junior was the consistent Rebel force on the mound all season. He posted a 3.73 ERA in SEC starts, despite his 2-6 record.

Primarily used in relief his first two seasons in Oxford, the Rockies saw enough from Ethridge in one year of SEC starts to take him in the fifth round. Now, Ethridge will have to deal with a new challenge if he is to make it to the majors – he’ll have to learn to pitch in altitude.

The Rockies rookie league team is in Grand Junction, Colo. (altitude 4,593 feet) and its triple-A club is in Albuquerque, N.M. (altitude 5,312 feet). It all sets up as a perfect test to learn how to pitch at Mile High in Denver.