Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 6-20 -- Latest: 15th-rounder Bates turned down significant bonus

[battlekow]

A day in the life of Regis ace Chris Bates
Chris Bates/New York Post

On Monday, Regis senior pitcher Chris
Bates participated in the invite-only National Pre-Draft Showcase
in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, pitching in front of scouts from all 30
Major League Baseball teams. The left-hander shares his thoughts and
feelings from the day with this first-person diary exclusively for
NYPost.com.

7:30 a.m. -- I lifted the covers from my
still-half-asleep body to shut off the blaring alarm that had so rudely
woke me up. I walked to the hotel room’s bathroom to put on my contacts,
part of the daily routine that helps shake the feeling of sleepiness.

As I looked in the mirror, fumbling with those tiny pieces of
plastic, I was hit with a wave of nausea like I’ve felt only a few times
before in my life. It was like the SAT times 10, like someone had
reached into my stomach and turned everything upside down. I knew that
particular day could possibly shape the rest of my life.

I knew
that few ever got the opportunity that I had that day; that this time
tomorrow, I could be on a completely different path, a path that I had
dreamed of since I was able to throw a baseball.

8 a.m.
– My dad and I went to the hotel restaurant to get breakfast. I stared
at my French toast and eggs for a few minutes, thinking about whether or
not I could actually hold this stuff down. My dad told me not eating
would be worse than eating and feeling sick for a few minutes.

I
thought about it for a moment, then realized that this was sound logic
and went ahead slowly eating what I’d gotten from the buffet. After my
plate was cleared — somewhat — my dad and I went to the car to drive off
to the baseball field where the showcase was to take place.

8:45
a.m. – We were in the car on the way to the stadium passing a
rather large cornfield when it dawned on me that we might have found the
middle of nowhere. People always talk about it, but they never really,
truly believe that they are there.

Well, the outskirts of Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, pretty much fit the description of “middle of nowhere.” I
mean, the minor-league baseball stadium was the main attraction of the
city, as stated by a few signs in the airport. Just to give you a
picture, our 10-story hotel was the tallest building as far as the eye
could see and the eye could see very, very far. The fields in sight were
also abnormally flat — really, really flat.

9 a.m.
– Being a few minutes late, my dad dropped me off at the front gate of
the stadium so I could run in to register. I then made my way down to
the dugout, and what I saw left me paralyzed in shock for at least two
minutes. Standing there were some of the largest high-school seniors I
had ever seen. This only added to the feelings of nervousness I was
experiencing earlier.

I always thought I was a somewhat big guy, being tall and everything,
but these kids were my height, about 6-foot-5 and built like tanks.
After I came to, I turned around to see a throng of major-league and
college scouts chatting in the stands behind home plate. This was going
to be a long day.

9:30a.m. and on – We warmed up,
infielders and outfielders did their routine, and catchers did their
pop times to second base. After all of that was wrapped up, the
14-inning game started. I was slated to pitch the 10th and 11th innings,
so I had a huge chunk of time before the moment of truth. I took that
time to sit on the bench and just observe -- the hitters, the pitchers,
and what worked or didn’t work.

A large attraction seemed to be the radar gun that was wired up to
the screen in center field. For pitcher after pitcher, it would light up
– 89 mph, 91 mph, 92 mph, 90 mph, and sometimes it would dip to 87 mph.

Yes this was intimidating, but I knew that even though these
guys might throw two or three miles per hour harder than me, being a
tall, smart lefty, I was just as good as the rest of them. It was only a
matter of execution. As time went on, my nerves relaxed, and I started
gearing up for my two innings.

The eighth inning rolled around,
and I started to get warm out in the bullpen. It’s an odd concept, but
once you get going, those nerves that so badly affected your previous
state of mind seem to disappear. The warmup was average; the two-seamer
was tailing off the corner nicely, the changeup had some dive to it, and
the curveball was dropping in perfectly for strikes.

All these
things put together gave me some confidence for what I was about to do.
After I felt ready to go out to the mound, I went into the dugout to
wait a few minutes for the 10th inning to roll around. Eventually it
did, and I ran out to the mound to do what I’ve done for the past six
years: pitch.

Being on that mound in a national showcase with 60
or 70 scouts watching is a feeling that’s so hard to describe, I’m not
sure I can come close. The best I can do is say that it was a mixture of
a little nervousness, fear of failure, confidence, and adrenaline.
Those seem like odd feelings to have alongside each other, but that’s
what I think was going on.

What happened next was kind of like a
dream. It went by very fast and was over before I really had time to
notice how I was doing. I faced seven batters and retired six. One guy
got a bloop single over the shortstop’s head. I didn’t throw many
pitches, and I worked the strike zone. The curveball was my biggest
weapon and I threw it accurately and for strikes.

After the last
out in the 11th inning, I went back to my spot in the dugout and just
sat there until the end of the game. I was in a sort of dream state, so I
didn’t really know what went on in the three innings after I came out
of the game, but my team won the game and we shook hands and left. It
was actually a very anticlimactic ending to probably the most important
game of my life.

I made my way up to my dad who congratulated me
on a job well done, said hello to a few people, and left the ballpark
for the airport. The ride with my dad was full of conversation about
what sort of doors could be opened because of this event. The whole day,
much like my two innings on the mound, felt like a dream.

I
always wanted to have the opportunity to pitch in college and even
beyond, but now that this dream is starting to become a reality, I’m not
really sure what will come out of it. I know that all I can do is my
best and pitch my heart out every time I step on that mound. A lot of
people would give a limb to be in the position of each person on the
field that day. This is why I think these moments are so special.

This
was a day I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2010/05/21/sports/photos_stories/Regis-SR23--300x300.jpg
(Philip Hall)

[battlekow]

Two Cougars go in MLB draft

Washington State University

NEW YORK – Washington

State University redshirt-junior pitcher Chad Arnold and junior

shortstop Shea Vucinich were selected in the 2010 MLB First-Year Player

Draft, Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers made Arnold their

18th round pick, 562nd overall. Vucinich went to the Milwaukee Brewers

in the 20th round, 609th overall. Both student-athletes have a year of

collegiate eligibility left and have the option to sign a professional

contract or return to Pullman next season.

A native of Kennewick, Wash., Arnold is the

first Washington State right-handed starting pitcher to be drafted since

Mike Wagner was taken by Texas in 2006. He is the fourth Cougar to be

selected by the Dodgers joining third baseman Ron Cey (third round,

1968), catcher Don Crow (third round, 1979) and left-handed pitcher Wade

Parrish (15th round, 1999).

Arnold was 5-3 with a 3.74 earned run average

in 2010. His 16 starts (tied for third) and 108 and one-third innings

(tied for seventh) rank on the Cougar single-season list. He has made 44

career starts, seventh all-time at Washington State. Arnold has fanned

190, eighth on the Cougar all-time list in the aluminum bat era.

Vucinich is the first Cougar shortstop to be

selected since the Milwaukee Brewers made Mike Wetmore a seventh round

selection in 1996. Other Cougars to be drafted by the Brewers include

outfielder Rob Smith (11th round, 1987), catcher Randy Snyder (second

round, 1988), left-handed pitcher Tom McGraw (sixth round, 1990),

catcher/outfielder Mike Kinkade (19th round, 1994 and ninth round,

1995), first baseman Grant Richardson (14th round, 2004) and

right-handed pitcher Dane Renkert (29th round, 2005).

The Hayden, Idaho native made his

first-collegiate start in the second game of his freshman season. Two

games later, he moved into the starting lineup for good. He has started

the last 119 games for the Cougars and 156 of the last 159 missing three

games at UCLA due to injury in his freshman season. He is the only

Cougar to start all 59 games in 2010. He batted .262 with 32 RBI and 45

runs and anchored an infield that turned 66 ground balls into double

plays this season.

[battlekow]

Derek Dietrich, Shane Vucinich powering Gatemen

Ed Collins/South Coast Today

WAREHAM — One grew up in Ohio and the other grew

up in Idaho. They play college baseball for teams on opposite coasts,

but they have a couple of things in common.

They're

infielders for the Wareham Gatemen (5-4-1) and they were the only

players on the team to have hit home runs heading into Monday night's

Cape Cod Baseball League game against Orleans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With two homers apiece, they share one more

thing in common — both went deep two times in the same game against

different opponents.

Derek Dietrich, a

shortstop from Georgia Tech via Parma, Ohio, belted his home runs in a

7-0 win over Harwich on June 18. Shea Vucinich, a third baseman from

Washington State who hails from Hayden, Idaho, hit a pair of homers in a

6-4, 10-inning loss to Chatham on Thursday.

Vucinich

is back for his second summer with the Gatemen; Dietrich is

experiencing the Cape League for the first time. Both are solid fielders

with good bats and Wareham manager Cooper Farris is glad to have them.

"They're both good players and they've helped us at

the plate and in the field," Farris said. "We're excited about both of

them, because they have a lot of potential, they're hard workers and

they've been a big part of our offense."

Vucinich,

who loves to play Wiffle Ball and fish, played shortstop this past

season for the Cougars, and has made a pretty easy transition to third

base for the Gatemen.

"I'm willing to play

anywhere they want me to," Vucinich said. "I'm here to improve and being

able to play multiple positions is a plus that I bring to the table."

The Gatemen regularly bring back a handful of

players each season and Vucinich is happy to be one of them.

"I picked up a lot of experience playing here last

year and I wanted to build on that," Vucinich said. "I'm getting a

chance to work on every part of my game and that's going to make me a

better player."

An accomplished juggler,

Dietrich has already made a name for himself as one of college

baseball's top fielders. He was signed to play with the Gatemen last

year, but opted to play for Team USA instead. They came calling again,

but Dietrich decided this year he wanted to change things up and

experience a summer playing on the Cape against some of college

baseball's top talent.

"I got a chance to play

against a lot of good teams with Team USA and it was a great

experience," Dietrich. "I had always heard good things about the Cape

League though, and I wanted to see what it was all about. A lot of major

leaguers have played here and my ultimate goal is to make it to the big

leagues."

Like everyone else in the league,

Vucinich and Dietrich have had their share of trouble switching from

aluminum bats to wood. Dietrich hit 14 home runs for the Yellow Jackets

as a freshman and belted 10 more this past season, but swinging for the

fences isn't his main concern with the Gatemen.

"My main goal as a hitter is to make solid contact

every time up," Dietrich said. "You're facing a lot of good pitchers and

you can't be worried about hitting home runs. If you consistently hit

the ball hard, good things will happen. Extra-base hits and home runs

will take care of themselves."

Vucinich hasn't

hit a lot of homers in his college career and he agrees it comes down

to getting the most out of every at-bat this summer.

"It's all about being patient, swinging at good

pitches and hitting the ball hard," Vucinich said. "The coaches here

have been working with me every day and that's helping a lot. You have

to be able to hit with a wood bat to get to the major leagues, so that's

a powerful incentive to get better at the plate."

[battlekow]

Four Lobos Selected in the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft

University of New Mexico

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Four University of New Mexico Lobo baseball players

were selected on the second day of the 2010 Major League Baseball's

First-Year Player Draft. Junior Rafael

Neda has been drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 309th pick [in] the 10th round, senior Willy

Kesler by the Seattle Mariners with the 552nd pick of the 18th

round, junior Kenny

Toves by the Florida Marlins with the 647th pick in the 21st round

and senior Justin

Howard by the Pittsburg Pirates with the 717th pick of the 24th

round. Neda finished the season with a .362 batting average, 84 hits and

11 home runs and has served as the Lobos' primary catcher since

arriving on campus in the fall of 2007. Kesler finished the season with a

6-3 record and posted a 3.92 ERA. Kesler tossed three complete games

this season with one shutout. Toves went 5-2 with a 4.59 ERA. Howard

leads the nation in hits with 119 and is tied for first in the NCAA with

a .456 batting average.

 

"This is very exciting," said Neda. "After I heard my name I was

excited and I'm really happy to play for the Brewers. The last few

months there has been a lot of pressure to perform. Not just for our

team but for the draft. The Brewers called me and told me before they

drafted me and I was relieved."

 

Neda is a six-time All-America Award winner and a three-time

All-Mountain West Conference performer. During his career at New Mexico,

Neda has been one of the most productive catchers and prolific hitters

with career marks of .367 batting average, 233 hits, 24 home runs and

158 RBIs.

 

[battlekow]

Five Cowboys Drafted By MLB

Oklahoma State University

 

SECAUCUS, N.J. - Five Oklahoma State Cowboys were chosen on the second day of the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft Tuesday.

 

Pitchers Tyler Lyons and Thomas Keeling and catcher Kevin David were each drafted for the second time in their careers, with each improving on their previous draft status, while second baseman Davis Duren and pitcher Mike Strong were also among Tuesday's draftees.

 

...

 

Keeling was selected in the 18th round by the Milwaukee Brewers. A year ago, the Ropesville, Texas product was taken in the 20th round by the Yankees.

 

A southpaw, Keeling has ranked among the top five in the NCAA national leaders each of the last two seasons in strikeouts per nine innings. In 31 career appearances, he has racked up 167 strikeouts in 117.0 innings.

 

Keeling is coming off a junior campaign in which he was 4-6 with a 5.74 in 12 starts and led OSU with 92 strikeouts.

[battlekow]

Baseball America scouting report on Mike Walker:

Finding a talented senior with tools that profile well in the pro game

is a valuable thing to a scout. Pacific third baseman Walker fits that

description, as an athletic 6-foot-4, 215-pounder who can play the

infield corners and possibly catch in pro ball. He has strength,

fringe-average power, runs well and gets on base.

[battlekow]

Neda tops list of New Mexico players taken in MLB draft

Christopher Jackson/Albuquerque Baseball Examiner

“It was exciting, being drafted for the first time," Neda said.

Neda

said he was surprised that the Brewers called his name, but once it

settled in, he realized he's joining an organization that's drafted and

developed many of its current big-league starts, including Prince

Fielder, Ryan Braun and Rickie Weeks.

“It’s a great organization,"

Neda said. "I think the Brewers are a great team to start your

professional career with."

Neda said he and his family and

advisors have already begun negotiating with the Brewers organization,

but there is no timetable in place as far as when he will sign or for

how big of a signing bonus.

[Mass Haas]

Albany (NY) Times-Union

 

RHP Greg Holle, a junior at Texas Christian, went to Milwaukee in the 11th round with the 339th overall pick. His father, Gary, was also taken by the Brewers in the 13th round in 1976. He was eventually traded to Texas, where he reached the majors for five games in 1979.

 

"This is so eerie," Gary Holle said. "It's a strange feeling."

 

The 6-foot-8, 225-pound Holle was drafted by the Yankees in the 35th round as a high school senior but opted for college instead. Gary Holle said his right-handed son is "extremely excited" and will likely sign and forego his senior year at TCU.

 

Greg Holle has a 2-1 record and 8.49 ERA this season, mostly out of the bullpen for TCU, which is preparing for the NCAA super regionals this weekend. Gary Holle said his son has pitched much better the second half of the season.

[Mass Haas]

Hawn tempted to remain a Volunteer

 

The University of Tennessee's third baseman, Cody Hawn, a sixth-round choice by the Milwaukee Brewers, isn't ruling out a return to a program that was a popular target during the second day of the draft.

 

Hawn might have a difficult time putting his professional career on hold.after the former South-Doyle star became a draft pick by the Brewers for the second time, though with a handful of school records in reach, strong ties to Knoxville and a chance to get UT back to the postseason on the table, he might have to be bowled over by the franchise.

"You know, it just kind of depends on what happens and I'll know more here in the next couple of days," Hawn said. "But I would definitely, definitely not rule out coming back to Tennessee. I love it here, I'm from here and I'm just a couple home runs away from the school record, which would be an awesome thing for me to accomplish. I'm a big fan of UT sports, so I definitely wouldn't rule it out that it could happen. I will know more in the next couple days as to what's going on.

"It would be awesome to come back. There's definitely a ton of talent coming in, and if they can get all those drafted guys in and keep them, anything's possible with next year's team."

[Mass Haas]

Ross considering coming back for his senior year at LSU

BATON ROUGE — The carnage continued for the LSU baseball team Wednesday as another six signees for the 2011 season were drafted into Major League Baseball, and three current juniors were also selected.

 

The Tigers do stand a strong chance of keeping pitcher/quarterback signee Zach Lee, who was picked with the 28th selection of the first round Monday by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of McKinney High in McKinney, Texas, as well as junior right-hander Austin Ross, who went in the eighth round Tuesday as the 249th overall pick to Milwaukee.

Ross is considering coming back for this senior year at LSU, where the Shreveport native would likely be a No. 1 or No. 2 starter.

"I'm excited, and I definitely have a tough decision to make, but whatever I make I think either one is going to be a positive for me," he said. "It's a win-win situation whatever I do."

[Mass Haas]

Before that previous post scares you --

***

 

Ross expected to forego his senior season to begin his professional career

KTBS Video Report

 

Austin Ross was selected in the eighth round of the Major League Baseball draft Thursday by the Milwaukee Brewers. The Captain Shreve alum is expected to forego his senior season to begin his professional career. Sources close to KTBS indicate Ross has had preliminary discussions about finding an agent.

 

Ross led the Tigers with 88 innings pitched this year as he was yo-yo'd from weekend starter to the bullpen and back to weekend starter. In perhaps his last effort as an LSU Tiger, Ross tossed a career best eight innings in a win over UC-Irvine in the first game of the Los Angeles Regional last Friday. In that game, Ross surrendered four earned runs on only four hits, walked two and struck out seven.

[Mass Haas]

Draft hitting Tigers hard

Randy Rosetta/The (Baton Rogue) Advocate

 

Junior pitcher Austin Ross was selected by Milwaukee in the eighth

round, which is likely early enough to end his college career.

...

When told Ross had gone in the eighth round, Mainieri said, “Ross will

definitely sign also. I’m certain of that.”

...

The low-key Ross said he wasn’t surprised he went in the top 10

rounds, especially after a strong finish when he emerged as the Tigers’

top pitcher over the last six weeks.

As much as anything, Ross said he was glad just to

get the word he’d been picked.

Ross was selected while Mainieri was holding an end-of-season

meeting.

“I was getting nervous during our meeting,” Ross

said. “When I finally found out, it was a pretty big relief.

“I’m relieved that it’s over and that I don’t have

to worry about it anymore.”

While it seems likely Ross will turn pro, he

didn’t shut the door on a return to LSU.

Dean came back for his senior season this spring,

and Louis Coleman returned for the 2009 campaign after being picked in

the 14th round.

As recently as Sunday, Mainieri said he thought it

was possible Ross could do the same.

“I think Austin could definitely be a kid who

could come back and be a leader for us last season, just like Coleman

and Dean have done,” Mainieri said. “I think he would be the most

obvious guy to be able to do that for us.”

Added Ross, “You definitely have to look at that

and weigh it. The next couple of weeks or so is when I’ll decide if I’m

going or coming back.”

[Mass Haas]

Ossining resident Chris Bates was shocked by his Day 2 selection

By Jake Thomases, lohud.com

 

Ossining resident Chris Bates was shocked by his Day 2 selection.

 

The 6-foot-5 left-hander, who pitches for Regis High School in Manhattan, was told by a Brewers scout that he would probably go Wednesday in the later rounds. Because of that he wasn't even monitoring the draft. He was watching his brother, a freshman at Kennedy, play baseball in a state quarterfinal at Manhattanville.

 

"It was kind of weird because I started getting text messages from my friends saying congratulations," he said. "I was like, 'What are you talking about?' About two minutes after that I got a call from the guy who had scouted me for the Brewers."

 

Milwaukee had taken him in the 15th round with the 459th overall pick. They liked his body, his high-80s fastball and sharp curveball enough to grab him early.

 

Bates has only been a pitcher for the last four years, giving him potentially more room to grow.

 

"I think the first thought was confusion but then absolute joy," he said. "The difference between being picked tomorrow and middle of today is huge and something I've been wanting to do ever since I first threw a baseball."

 

He also needs to work out a contract, and may still opt to go to the University of Richmond, where he has a scholarship.

[Mass Haas]

Lubbock Online

Oklahoma State junior left-hander Thomas Keeling from Coronado, went in the 18th round Tuesday, No. 549 overall, to Milwaukee. That's an improvement of two rounds over last year's draft when he went in the 20th round to the Yankees but did not sign as a draft-eligible sophomore.

 

"I expected to be a little higher this year and that didn't quite get met," Keeling said. "It's a little disappointing. At the same time it's still the major league draft and I'm happy to have been wanted and to get drafted. When it comes down to it, (signing) is about getting the right number. I think there's a good chance we could come to an agreement."

 

All players chosen in the draft have until Aug. 15 to negotiate and agree to deals before teams lose their rights.

[Mass Haas]

Scout.com:

Washington State baseball coach Donnie Marbut said he also expects to lose junior Shea Vucinich, who was selected Tuesday on the second day of the major league draft.

 

Vucinich, a three-year starter at shortstop, was taken by Milwaukee in the 20th round (609th overall).

[battlekow]

Regis' Bates part of the Brew Crew

Dylan Butler/New York Post

Chris Bates thought there was a plan already in place. The Regis left-hander would be selected late on the third day of the Major League Baseball draft by the Milwaukee Brewers and they’d follow him throughout the summer.

 

So the senior ace didn’t give the draft much thought Tuesday, instead going to watch his younger brother Schuyler play for Kennedy Catholic, which advanced to the state semifinals with a win against Southampton.

 

And then, Bates’ cell phone blew up.

 

“I was getting messages from people even before I knew what was going on,” Bates told The Post. “I was confused from the start. I was getting text messages saying congratulations and I had no idea what was going on.”

 

What was going on was that Bates was selected by the Brewers in the 15th round Tuesday, 459th overall. He is the first player from Regis to be drafted.

 

“For the first 20 minutes after I heard about it I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face,” Bates said. “It was something unbelievable you hope for, but then it’s something completely different when it actually happens.”

 

Among all the congratulatory calls came one from Brian Sankey, the Brewers New York, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania and New England area scout.

 

“It was weird because I actually thought he said 50th, but the 50th round isn’t until tomorrow and I put it together and it hit me in the middle of the call,” Bates said. “I was ecstatic.”

 

While Bates performed in front of scouts from all 30 MLB teams at the National Pre-Draft Showcase in Cedar Rapids, Iowa last month, the Brewers were on the 6-foot-5 lefty from the beginning.

 

Bates’ summer league coach at the Rockland OTB Pirates is Mike Rooney, whose brother is Jim Rooney, the Brewers roving crosschecker. He said he was invited to participate in a private workout at Miller Park, but it was the same day as his graduation at Regis.

 

Now, Bates said, he’ll meet with Sankey and see if a deal can be worked out. If not, he’ll pitch for the University of Richmond next year.

 

“That’s not a conversation we’ve had,” the Ossining native said. “We’re going to talk sometime soon to draw up a contract or talk money, I guess. We’ve got to do that together in person.”

 

Either way Bates, who forged a reputation as one of the top pitchers in the CHSAA, has excited the entire Regis community.

 

“Everyone at Regis is really happy for Chris, it’s certainly created a buzz around the school and especially within our program,” Regis coach Mike Skrapits said. “He has worked so hard to get to this point and we’re very proud. His focus and determination are qualities that we want every Regis player to have. We know Chris will be a great role model for both our returning players and our future players.”

 

http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2010/06/09/sports/photos_stories/bates--300x300.jpg

(Philp Hall)

[battlekow]

Baseball America scouting report on Austin Ross:

With Anthony Ranaudo a shell of his former self this spring, righthander

Austin Ross became Louisiana State's most effective starter, going 5-4,

5.22 with 98 strikeouts in 88 innings. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder also

made eight relief appearances, and he projects as a middle reliever in

pro ball. When he comes out of the bullpen, he has a 90-93 mph fastball

and a solid breaking ball. He throws strikes, but perhaps too many to

the extent that he's more hittable than he should be, and his well

below-average changeup isn't effective at keeping lefties at bay.

[battlekow]

Brewers select Marysville's Walker in the 14th round

Ryan Klocke/Appeal-Democrat

On his 22nd birthday, Mike Walker will spend his first full day in a place 1,000 miles away from his comfort zone — apart from his family, teammates and girlfriend. He'll be new in a town of unknowns, with the most daunting challenge of his life waiting ahead.

 

He's never received a better present. The dream he's had since 6-years-old will take it's first step toward realization.

 

Come Saturday, there may not be a happier person in Helena, Mont.

 

Once a Marysville High Indian who became a Tiger, Walker will now be a Helena Brewer.

 

On Tuesday, Walker, a 2006 Marysville alumnus who just finished his senior year at University of the Pacific, was chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 14th round of the Major League Baseball draft.

 

The third baseman was the No. 429 overall pick and doesn't plan to have any drama surrounding when putting his pen to paper. As a senior, he knows he doesn't have a "lot of leverage" in contract negotiations, not that it bothers him, he said. Walker wants to be in the "Treasure State" to play for the club's rookie league team as quickly as possible.

 

"I'm absolutely going to sign and I'm going to be on a plane on Friday," he said.

 

Walker was a star at Marysville, the type of player whose presence was ubiquitous on courts and fields. His senior year he hit .512 while playing catcher, averaged 9.5 points a game in basketball and seven tackles a game in football.

 

But baseball was his love. It's been that way ever since he played for the North Yuba Little League Red Sox in T-Ball. It's been that way through travel ball, through his first varsity season as a sophomore and through all those backyard Wiffle Ball games, the ones where all the neighborhood kids would descend on his backyard in Brown's Valley and play "sun-up to sun-down," he said.

 

"I had a one track mind, baseball the entire way," Walker said.

 

That led him to the Division I Tigers, where he turned a partial scholarship into significant playing time by his junior year. He had no qualms about switching to third base, a move designed to simply get him on the field.

 

This past season, he hit .327 with 12 home runs with 52 RBIs in 54 games, all while playing the Big West, a conference that includes programs like Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton.

 

It gave Walker confidence, though he still had the expected nerves that come with such a situation. So to keep his mind off it, he hung out with his girlfriend on Tuesday. Then at 1:30 p.m. came the barrage — the sound of his iPhone getting "blown up with 10 text messages in 30 seconds," he said.

 

It was the sweet music of being drafted. The notification that it's time for the next step.

 

And when he runs into the inevitable hard times, he will seek advice from his younger brother Davis, who is a junior on the Indians' baseball team. The little sibling employs the same strategy each time, telling Mike to think back to those Saturday and Sunday afternoons back home, when he tried take the neighborhood kids deep, Walker said.

 

"You know what," his brother will say," It's just Wiffle Ball, go back to when you were playing in the backyard."

[battlekow]

UVa Baseball Family Pulling for Bivens

Jeff White/Virginia Cavaliers

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The news that John Bivens was drafted Tuesday delighted his former teammates and coaches in the UVa baseball program.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers selected 6-1, 210-pound outfielder, who played for Division II Virginia State this season, in the 12th round of the major-league draft. Bivens was the 369th pick overall.

 

"I sent him a text message right when I saw it on the draft board," UVa coach Brian O'Connor said this afternoon at Davenport Field.

 

"I am so happy for John Bivens. I've continued with my relationship with John. He was actually just in my office not too long ago, we spent about 30 minutes together, and I was hoping that somebody would give him an opportunity. He's a wonderful kid."

 

Bivens, 22, is a graduate of Prince George High, where as a senior he hit .530 and was named Central Region player of the year. He was also a football star for the Royals, and he accepted a full scholarship to play that sport at UVa.

 

He was projected to one day start at linebacker, but injuries derailed his college football career. In a span of about nine months in 2007, Bivens had two operations on his left knee, and he was never able to regain the form that had made such a tantalizing prospect.

 

In September 2008, with then-coach Al Groh's blessing, Bivens left the football team and joined O'Connor's program.

 

In 2009, he appeared in 18 games for the Wahoos and hit .438 (7 for 16). But on a team that advanced to the College World Series, Bivens did not play regularly. He also had to deal with a shoulder injury.

 

"He never really got healthy, and he was a couple years behind," O'Connor said. "And when you have players already in the program that have been everyday players for a year or two, those are tough guys to unseat when you haven't played.

 

"He ran into a numbers situation here, and it was a timing deal, so he did the best thing for his career in making a move."

 

Bivens, who O'Connor believes has completed work on his bachelor's degree at UVa, transferred to Virginia State last year. He batted .293 for the Trojans this spring, with five triples, five home runs and 33 RBI. He's healthy for the first time in years and stole 16 bases (in 20 attempts) for VSU.

 

His former teammates are rooting for Bivens.

 

"He was one of the nicest guys I've been around," UVa pitcher Robert Morey said this afternoon. "You'd never see him without a smile on his face. He had a lot of tools. He had a little speed, he had size, he had some power. It was just unfortunate he had to go through some of those injuries, but I'm so excited for him, that he gets another opportunity to play pro baseball."

[Mass Haas]

Sleeper Watch

Jeff Sackmann, Hardball Times

Eighth round: Austin Ross (RHP - Brewers). By this point in the draft, we're not looking at likely major leaguers any more. But Ross has gotten consistently good results at LSU, where the competition is comparable to (if not better than) what he'll face once he signs. There aren't very many college starters who post a K/BB ratio better than 5-to-1.

[battlekow]

Wapak native Garman drafted by Brewers

Chris Voloschuk/Wapakoneta Daily News

 

Tuesday afternoon may have provided Brian Garman with the most satisfying jog of his young life.

 

While out for his usual run, the left-handed pitcher and soon-to-be University of Cincinnati graduate received the call every young baseball player dreams of.

In the 17th round of the Major League Baseball draft, the Milwaukee Brewers made Garman the 519th overall pick, prompting a phone call from the organization to his home phone. His mother wound up answering and receiving the good news.

 

“They called my house while I was out for a run, so I found out from my mom,” Garman said. “So I had to call them back and talk about the details.”

Even if the news was somewhat delayed, it was the realization of a goal the 22-year-old had set for himself before he suited up for UC following a record-setting career at Wapak High School.

 

“It was kind of a relief to know (getting drafted) happened,” Garman said. “I’m excited about it. As much of a dream as it is, along with that there was also an expectation to get to the pros. I never settled for anything else.”

 

Members of the Garman family weren’t the only people to find out about his selection to the Brewers organization. The announcement was made over the PA system during Wapak’s ACME baseball game against New Bremen Tuesday night, and when Garman, his family and his girlfriend all went to Astro Lanes to celebrate, his cell phone was flooded with calls and text messages.

 

“My phone has never been used so much in a four-hour span,” Garman said. “My phone kept blowing up. I went with my family and my girlfriend up to the bowling alley, just to enjoy the moment, and I found myself constantly staring at my phone, texting people back.”

 

A starter and reliever over the course of his college career, Garman will be further developed as a reliever in Milwaukee’s minor league system. Because of his college experience, he will skip rookie ball and move straight to the team’s low-A [sic] affiliate, the Helena (Montana) Brewers.

 

Helena’s season begins June 21 with a home game against Missoula.

 

“My agent (Mike Montana) said they see me as a bullpen guy, which is definitely a way to go,” Garman said. “It fits my attitude and my mentality. I don’t know much about the minor league system yet, but I feel like I’m in good hands.”

 

Before getting drafted, he put together a strong college career on the mound at UC, making more than 13 appearances in each of his four seasons, including 17 his junior and senior years.

 

As a senior, he made 17 appearances, including five starts, and posted a 4-4 record with a 3.79 ERA for the Bearcats, who finished the season 29-29. In 59.1 innings pitched, he allowed 31 runs (25 earned) on 65 hits and 19 walks, while also striking out 65.

 

At one point at the start of May, he was 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA and led the Big East Conference in strikeouts. His 65 strikeouts were a single-season personal-best. His season-ending ERA was ranked eighth in the Big East Conference.

 

April 30 against West Virginia, Garman tossed his first-career complete game and also struck out a career-high nine batters in that game. He became the third lefty from UC selected to the First-Year Player Draft in as many seasons.

 

During his last two summers, Garman also pitched for the Lima Locos and the Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers in Minnesota.

 

As a Redskin, the 2006 WHS grad was a Western Buckeye League, District and County Player of the Year as a senior, as well as Second Team All-Ohio. He still holds the program record for career wins (17) and lowest ERA (2.01), as well as single-season records for strikeouts (99) and ERA (0.92).

 

He holds the second-longest streak in the state with 34 consecutive scoreless innings.

 

Tuesday night, Garman made his way back to UC, where he will attempt to pack up his apartment and move his thing back to Wapak. After he receives his degree in criminal justice at graduation Saturday, he will return home, then fly out to Montana Sunday or Monday to begin his journey into professional baseball.

 

“It’s a lot to do, but it’s worth it,” Garman said. “It’s all for the grind to play pro ball.”

[battlekow]

Austin Ross Weighing His Options After Brewers Draft Him In 8th Round

KTBS

 

We chatted with former Captain Shreve Gator, Austin Ross Wednesday evening, regarding the life-altering choice before him: Return to LSU for his senior season and potentially be the #1 starter for Paul Mainieri's 2011 team; or, negotiate a favorable offer from Milwaukee after the Brewers selected Ross in the 8th round of the Major League Baseball Draft Tuesday.

 

Ross, a junior right-hander with several strong performances down the home-stretch for the Tigers, says money would not be the deciding factor. He cites opportunity as a key ingredient in his decision making process.

 

While Mainieri undoubtedly wants Ross back on the hill for him next season, the LSU skipper will not influence Ross' decision. With parents Alan and Gloria two rooms away during our interview, Austin indicates his family will be the strongest voices of reason during his evaluation process.

 

Ross indicates he would like make his decision within a week. He also says he looks forward to a break from baseball no matter what choice he makes.

[battlekow]

Picture of Mike Walker signing his contract:

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4688236875_3d410d72ba.jpg

(University of the Pacific)

[battlekow]

Something Brewin' with Vucinich

Mark Nelke/Coeur d'Alene Press

 

Shea Vucinich said it's been a dream to play professional baseball since he was a little boy, playing Wiffle ball with his friends in a scaled-down baseball field built in the back yard of the family home in Hayden.

 

So when the Milwaukee Brewers drafted Vucinich, the former Coeur d'Alene High standout, in the 20th round of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft Tuesday - the 609th pick overall - he didn't waste any time deciding what to do.

 

"I'm actually walking over to go sign my pro contract," Vucinich said Tuesday night from the Washington State campus in Pullman.

 

Vucinich, a junior, was a three-year starter at shortstop for the Cougars, helping them qualify for the NCAA tournament the past two seasons.

 

"I really appreciate everything from Cougarville," Vucinich said. "I've grown a lot as an individual player and a person here. I've really enjoyed my time here, but I think I'm ready for a new chapter of life."

 

Vucinich, who said he received a signing bonus but politely declined to disclose the sum, said he'll report to the Brewers organization next week either in Arizona or in Helena, Mont., where the team has a Rookie League team in the Pioneer League.

 

Vucinich said Milwaukee, Texas and Colorado had shown the most interest in him prior to the draft, and he was told he would likely be selected between rounds 15-25.

 

WSU's season ended Monday, one game short of the Super Regionals, after a loss to Arkansas on Monday night in the championship game of the Fayetteville (Ark.) Regional. The Cougars finished 37-22.

 

On Tuesday, Vucinich was out golfing with some friends at the Palouse Ridge Golf Club in Pullman, "trying to avoid the Internet," he said.

 

But on the sixth hole, one of his former teammates in the summer Cape Cod League texted him with the draft news.

 

"I really like the organization," Vucinich said of the Brewers. "I know that area scout (Brandon Newell) really well; he's done a lot of hard work for me, getting my name out. I appreciate everything he's done."

 

Vucinich, a general studies major, said he is three semesters away from earning his degree. He said he plans to come back and finish his degree.

 

"I am, definitely," he said. "That's very important to me, finishing school, getting my paper (diploma)."

 

Vucinich is the first Cougar shortstop to be selected since the Milwaukee Brewers made Mike Wetmore a seventh-round selection in 1996.

 

The 6-foot, 183-pound Vucinich made his first collegiate start in the second game of his freshman season. Two games later, he moved into the starting lineup for good. He has started the last 119 games for the Cougars and 156 of the last 159, missing three games at UCLA due to injury in his freshman season. He was the only Cougar to start all 59 games in 2010. He batted .262 with 32 RBIs and 45 runs and anchored an infield that turned 66 ground balls into double plays this season.

 

Vucinich's WSU teammate, junior right-handed pitcher Chad Arnold, was taken in the 18th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

 

Last year, WSU went 1-2 in its first trip to the NCAAs since 1990. This year, the Cougars beat Arkansas on its home field Sunday night to force a second title game, but couldn't repeat the victory on Monday.

 

"Going into this regional, we felt a lot more confident than we did last year," Vucinich said. "Last year we were kinda going there, with a little bit of excitement, just ready to play. We really went into this one ready to win, and lay it all on the line. We didn't go in there tentative at all, we gave it all we had. We just ran out of a little mustard at the end."

 

So with the WSU program on the rise, does that make it tougher for Vucinich to leave with one year of eligibility remaining?

 

"Yeah, it's a hard decision, especially with all the good things that have happened along the road in the last three years," he said. "But I think I'm just ready for something new."

[battlekow]

The Baseball Draft Report on Shea Vucinich:

Reports on Vucinich’s defense vary depending on the day, but most seem

to agree his upside with the glove is significant. I’ve even heard some

evaluators touting him as a potential plus defender up the middle. He

also has shown good power potential throughout his career with the

Cougars. That’s the good news. The less good news is centered around

Vucinich’s aggressive approach at the plate. His free swinging ways help

explain some of power output (swing hard at anything around the plate

and sometimes the ball goes very far), but it’s also gotten him in

trouble in the past. Something about his skill set had me really curious

about locking down some worthwhile comps. Best two I came up with are

former Padres starting SS/2B Damian Jackson (44th rounder) and current

Red Sox minor leaguer Tug Hulett (14th rounder). It wouldn’t surprise me

to see Vucinich split the difference between the two, both in eventual

draft landing spot and pro career accomplishments.