​Many a starting pitcher has been resistant to the idea of moving to the bullpen. Ben Davis is not one of those pitchers.He was a starter at Booneville High School. At Itawamba Community College, he both started and relieved. Then at Mississippi State, Davis found his niche as a versatile relief pitcher, able to put out fires at any point in a game. He came to love that role.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“It’s always fun to be able to come out of the pen, big game on the line, and really being able to put an end to whatever was happening, like if it was a big inning or something like that,” Davis said. “… I’m kind of an adrenaline junkie. I’m not really big on emotion, but being on the mound kind of brings it out. That was my thing, coming out of the pen and doing my own thing.”He’ll get to keep doing his thing at the professional level. Davis was taken by the Colorado Rockies with the first pick of the fourth round in last weekend’s Major League Baseball draft. When he got the call – while surrounded by family – Davis experienced a feeling similar to when he takes the mound.“My agent called me, and I really wasn’t expecting a whole lot on Day 1,” he said. “But when they called me, I had a big adrenaline dump. Pretty cool. Plus everybody’s sitting there; it was really cool with everybody there.”Davis leaves Friday for the team’s spring training facility in Phoenix. The Rockies will then decide whether to send him off to play somewhere or keep him there for some hands-on work. Either way, it’s a dream fulfilled.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDavis was a standout at Booneville as both a pitcher and a catcher. He led the Blue Devils to a state championship in 2021. In his two years at ICC, Davis won 10 games and struck out 104 batters over 104 1/3 innings.Then MSU came calling.“It’s surreal. You grow up, small town, you always dream of getting to play at Mississippi State. Moving on is always the next goal, but just being able to play there and moving on is awesome,” Davis said.He became a dependable arm at State. Over two seasons, he was 4-4 with a 3.71 ERA, 118 strikeouts and six saves in 104 1/3 innings. Davis made four starts as a junior and then became a full-time reliever this past season, making 26 appearances.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 6-foot-4, 230-pounder has a fastball that can touch the upper-90s, and he’s also effective with a slider and sweeper.“He’s a big horse,” Rockies assistant general manager Tommy Tanous told the team’s website. “You watch him and you don’t want to be in the batter’s box against him.”Davis’ specific role in the professional ranks is yet to be determined, but he’s just fine with continuing his career as a reliever.“I feel like I’m kind of the guy that can be called on every day if needed,” he said, “and if I’m not needed, that’s whenever I can kind of rest for a couple days and do it again.”