Jim Goulart

Follow Monday's action as it happens with box score / game log links: Nashville Huntsville Game One Huntsville Game Two Brevard County Wisconsin DSL Brewers MiLB.com feature -- organizational scoreboard, Brewers

We had already confirmed Luke Curtis' signing, but here's more background -- Former Mountie Luke Curtis drafted by Milwaukee By Andy Stine, Philipsburg (PA) Progress Sports Writer After many years of blood, sweat and tears put into the sport, former Philipsburg-Osceola baseball standout Luke Curtis found his long-awaited dream on Saturday. Curtis, who ended his season just a little over three weeks ago as a relief pitcher at the University of Pittsburgh, was drafted in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft in the 18th round (536th overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday afternoon. The Mountie alumnus was expecting to hear his name called a few rounds later, and was caught off-guard when he heard his name called in the 18th round as he was listening to the draft online. "It really snuck up on me," said Curtis. "I really didn't think it was going to be that early. It was something that I've worked hard for, and I've always imagined. It's a great opportunity that I'm very excited for, and I'm very blessed to have. "I talked to Jeff Simpson (western Pennsylvania regional scout for the Brewers) early in the morning, and I hadn't heard from him (since that time). It just kind of snuck up because I hadn't heard from him for a while. "I actually didn't hear from them until (he heard his name called). I heard my name, and they called me about a minute later and asked me if I was listening. It was very surreal at the time." After taking a day to discuss if he wanted to stay at Pittsburgh for his final year of eligibility or go straight to the minors, Curtis added to the dream on Sunday when he officially signed his contract. The now ex-Mountie and Panther traveled to Helena, Montana this morning where he will be joining the Helena Brewers of the Pioneer League in advanced rookie league ball. The Helena Brewers' season begins on June 16 with a home series against the Missoula Osprey - the advanced rookie league affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. "The Brewers don't have a short-season team like the State College Spikes are," explained Curtis. "They have rookie league and advanced rookie league, and then you go right to A-ball after that." Curtis is the second former P-O baseball player under head coach Doug Sankey to be drafted in the last five years. Matt Adams, who is a close friend of the Curtis family, went in the 23rd round to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009. Adams debuted with the big club in the summer of 2012 and made the Opening Day roster in 2013. The left-handed power hitter is batting .325 with three homers and 17 RBIs, but is currently sidelined on the disabled list with a calf injury. "We've always been very close with Matt," Curtis said. "He texted me and said, ‘Congratulations, but you're a rival now.' It was kind of funny that we ended up in the same division. Hopefully someday I can make it up there and get the opportunity to face off against him. "He reached out and we talked a little while, but he said ‘You're a rival now.' He made it known." Curtis led Pittsburgh this season out of the bullpen with a 2.17 earned run average, throwing 29 innings over 16 appearances. The redshirt junior said he realized his potential to be drafted about midway through the season after establishing a power fastball that has hit the mid 90s on the radar gun. "I was closing for two straight weekends on Saturday nights against Duke and Georgia Tech, and we swept both series," said Curtis. "I felt really good. My arm was getting stronger as the year was going on. A guy walked up to me and said, ‘Hey, you were really popping today. You topped out at 96.' I didn't believe him. I said, ‘No way.' That was when I really started to get talked to, and that was when I started getting my initial looks. "I could see it coming, but I just wasn't sure when, being that I had another year of eligibility at Pitt. Everything worked out the way I liked." Curtis will go right to work when he gets to Montana, but first he will have to soak in the accomplishment for a few moments. "I just have to get out there and take it all in at first," he said. "I'm anxious to get out there. I'm very excited, but you have to go out there and keep your composure. "It's a completely different world. Going from high school to college was a big change, and now it's twice the task. It's going to be the hardest thing I've done in my baseball career. It's just something you have to embrace and work hard everyday and just keep grinding." Had Curtis not been drafted over the weekend, he was going to either play in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League or the Northwood League for summer ball. Instead, he plans on running with this opportunity with the Brewers as the season continues all the way until the first week of September. "It's been a dream, but it's nothing but a new beginning," said Curtis. "The finish line is definitely a long way down the road."

Monday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Nashville: LHP Brad Mills at home vs. Reno (Diamondbacks), 6:45 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link Jeff Hem is the play-by-play voice of the Sounds; follow him on Twitter @jeffhempbp; we'll link to his blog updates at On the Air…and Off MiLB.TV -- for subscribers; all Nashville games, home and away, will be available to watch via MiLB.TV's $49.99 season-long package ($12.99 to pay for a single month). The audio feed is from the home team. All MiLB.TV details available at the link. ********** Huntsville: RHP Eric Marzec and LHP Brent Suter in a doubleheader at home vs. Mobile (Diamondbacks), 4:15 PM pre-game, 4:30 gametime; each contest slated for seven innings Free Live Audio Link Steve Jarnicki is the new play-by-play voice of the Stars - welcome aboard! Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveJarnicki. All games, home and away, are scheduled to be broadcast. MiLB.TV - It appears seven of the ten Southern League teams telecast their home games (not the Stars). ********** Brevard County: RHP Tyler Wagner at home vs. Tampa (Yankees), 5:05 PM pre-game, 5:35 gametime Free Live Audio Link -- Select the proper link based on listed schedule Dave Walkovic returns as the play-by-play voice of the 'Tees; follow the Brevard broadcast booth staff on Twitter @BCManateesRadio. All home games and many road games are scheduled to be broadcast. When road games are only available via the opponents' audio feed (or not at all), we'll let you know that. No Florida State League games are available via MiLB.TV. ********** Wisconsin: RHP Taylor Williams at Clinton (Mariners), 6:10 PM pre-game, 6:30 gametime Free Live Audio Link - 1280 AM WNAM Chris Mehring is back to do his customary fantastic work as the Voice of the Rattlers. Follow him on Twitter @CMehring; we'll link to Chris' infamous blog often -- Rattler Radio. For the $49.95 season-long package, fans in Brewer Nation can watch all Sounds games, Stars' road games from seven Southern League locales, and all Timber Rattlers home games and some road games. NOTE: Thirty-nine (!) of the Rattlers' 70 home games will be broadcast on TV this season. Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (9) and WACY-TV My NEW32 (30) will split duties. We'll let you know when and who, and remember to refer to the Rattlers' full TV schedule so you can coordinate your DVR activity. DVR Alert: Next up on the Rattlers TV schedule is Tuesday, June 10th via TimeWarnerCable SportsChannel, with the "Timber Rattlers Field Pass" show airing as a pre-game at 6:30 PM. ********** DSL Brewers: at the DSL Phillies, 9:30 AM, although game data won't be available until later in the day We're going to lock in the link to Brad Krause's fantastic Miller Park Prospects - Dominican Summer League primer right here, at least for the first couple of months of the DSL campaign, for your easy review. Brad will also be adding DSL Link Report duties to his Brevard coverage for us here. Thanks, Brad!

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg

2013 5th round UW-Milwaukee RHP Josh Uhen -- Instagram (Helena)

Kodi Medeiros expects to sign $2 million contract with Brewers By Kevin Jakahi, Stephens Media Hawaii So how did you spend your weekend? Kodi Medeiros, a recent Waiakea graduate and pitcher with a $2 million left arm, has a whopper of a tale to tell his grandchildren. And he’s set to put his signature on a contract Monday worth more than $2 million. The Milwaukee Brewers made him a blue-chip commodity, and Major League Baseball gave him a tour of a lifetime, rolling out the red carpet in stops at Arizona, Milwaukee, Kansas City and New York. He even got to shake MLB commissioner Bud Selig’s hand, after the Brewers picked him 12th overall in the first round of the MLB first-year player draft, making him the highest Hawaii player selected out of high school. Medeiros was composed with all the impromptu questions, and he managed to sneak in a shout-out to his family. That must have been rewarding for his parents, Robert and Kori Medeiros, and brother, Korin. “After I got picked, MLB was asking me tons of questions. Then I went to the conference room where two Milwaukee stations called me,” Medeiros said. “Fans were asking me questions, and my text messaging blew up, my Twitter feed, and all my followers, and I couldn’t keep track of all the people who congratulated me. “I’m almost caught up. I’m hitting back everybody with calls. It’s really overwhelming with social media. A lot of people would say, ‘Congratulations,’ and wanted to talk story, but I could only say, ‘I’ll talk to you later.’ It was a really long day.” MLB footed the bill for everything. The Medeiros family flew out from New York on Friday afternoon to Las Vegas, where they’re staying with Kori’s sister. Milwaukee’s 12th overall pick has an assigned value of $2,805,700. There isn’t a lot of wiggle room because there’s a cap for the first 10 rounds, but the next two picks reportedly signed for more than slot money. Medeiros said he expects to sign Monday when the Brewers fly him to Las Vegas. Then the team will fly the family to Milwaukee, where he’ll undergo a physical and watch a few games. To replenish a mediocre farm system, ranked 29th by minorleagueball.com, the Brewers drafted 27 pitchers out of their 41 picks, including Saint Louis School right-hander Jordan Yamamoto in the 12th round. Yamamoto outdueled Medeiros with a 2-0 win in the quarterfinals at the Division I state tournament in May on Oahu. The two could possibly be teammates if Yamamoto turns down a scholarship to Arizona. Dave Matranga, from psisports.com, is an advisor to Medeiros and Yamamoto. Matranga is the agent for Kolten and Kean Wong, and several other local players, including Iolana Akau, Kela Kaaihui, Branden Kaupe and Lenny Linsky. The MLB travel whirlwind wasn’t the first time Medeiros has been stuck on a long plane ride to an enjoyable and memorable destination. In 2011, he was a member, along with his brother Korin and Kean Wong, on the Hilo All-Stars World Series championship ballclub that traveled to Maine. “It’s my second time I was on a long plane ride,” Medeiros said. “I was pretty used to it, and everything went fine.” In the minor leagues, as Wong, who is at Single-A ball with the Tampa Bay Rays, can tell him nothing is first class. There are bus rides to sleepy towns. The routine of games are based on improving and weeding out competition, even on your own team. “I know the bus rides won’t be enjoyable, but I’ll find a way to deal with it,” Medeiros said.

18 (536). Luke Curtis, RHP, Pittsburgh Tweet - Wheels up to Detroit! Very excited to get out to Montana, only 3 flights to go! *** 31 (926). Brock Hudgens, RHP, UNC-Charlotte Tweet - Off to Arizona

VIDEO: Shawn Zarraga's first 2014 HR among the brief highlights here via Huntsville local news/sports broadcast

MLB Draft Tracker See, now you're getting greedy . Luckily though, when you sort by state on the tracker, it will also list players who are from the state, but went to school out of state.

VIDEO: The Unheralded Hardest-Working members of Huntsville's (non-playing) staff

Fortunately, this is not (yet) a playoff battle between first-half division winners -- Final, Game One: Mobile 6, @Huntsville 5 Final, Game Two: Mobile 2, @Huntsville 1 Mobile Sweeps Stars In Double Header Steve Jarnicki, Huntsville Stars Huntsville, AL - The Mobile BayBears (38-24) remained in the driver's seat to win the Southern League South as the first place BayBears swept the Huntsville Stars (40-23) Sunday in a doubleheader. Mobile came back late in game one to beat the Stars 6-5 and led wire-to-wire in game two to complete the doubleheader sweep with a 2-1 win. In game one, the Stars led 5-4 going into the bottom of the seventh and final inning. With the BayBears down to their final out against Tanner Poppe (0-1) and two runners on base, Tom Belza singled into left field. Kentrail Davis, the left fielder for the Stars, misplayed the ball, allowing Gerson Montilla and Sean Jamieson to score. The RBI single by Belza and fielding error by Davis gave the BayBears a 6-5 lead. Jake Barrett, the BayBears closer, came in for the save opportunity in the seventh and nailed down a 1-2-3 inning. The Stars had leads of 2-0, 4-2, 5-2 and 5-4 but couldn't prevail. Shawn Zarraga had a two-run homer for the Stars in the third inning which gave them a 4-2 lead. It was Zarraga's first home run of the season. Mitch Haniger finished 2-3 with an RBI. Zarraga and Davis had two hits for the Stars. Drew Gagnon, the Stars starter, took a no-decision after six innings of allowing four runs on three hits and four walks. In game two, Mobile RHP A.J. Schugel (3-1) dominated the Stars. Schugel worked 6.1 innings and allowed only one run on three hits. Stars lefty Jed Bradley (0-2) made his home debut in his hometown and was equally as impressive but came up on the short end of the stick in the pitcher's duel. Bradley struck out the side in the first inning. He retired the first six batters of the game. Mobile got a run against Bradley in the fourth when Jon Griffin singled home Belza for a 1-0 lead. In the top of the fifth, Mark Thomas tripled over Haniger's head in centerfield scoring Montilla from first base. With the Stars trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth, the Stars got a run against Schugle. With the bases loaded and with one out, Zarraga pinch hit and produced a sacrifice fly scoring Adam Weisenburger making it 2-1. The Stars threatened against Schugle in the final (7th) inning. After a walk to Hainley Statia, Mobile brought in closer Caleb Fleck. Nick Shaw singled against Fleck, putting runners at first and second. D'Vontrey Richardson pinch hit and struck out swinging. Fleck ended the game when he got to Davis to pop out to third baseman Jake Lamb to secure his third save of the season. The BayBears lead the Stars 3-0 in their five game series. The series will resume Monday with another doubleheader. In game one, LHP Brent Suter (6-4, 3.25) will get the ball for Huntsville. Mobile will have RHP Charles Brewer (1-1, 3.15) on the hill. Monday's doubleheader can be heard starting at 4:15 CDT on http://www.wtkiradio.com Huntsville Game One Box Score RHP Drew Gagnon really messes with the statistical norms like few do. A fine 2.78 ERA after 13 starts, only 55 hits allowed in 74.1 innings. But 40 walks and 48 K's in that same 74.1 innings is, shall we say, opposite of good. C/DH Shawn Zarraga is another statistical anomaly guy, now sporting a .352/.460/.405 line with only ten K's in 128 AB's. But the seven-year pro who, when signed, was a David Denson-like power-reputation prospect, has never hit more than four HR's in any one season. Just really bummed D'Vontrey Richardson is sporting a .215/.271/.300 line this year. Heck, I was ready to assign a 40-man roster spot last fall. Huntsville Game One Game Log Don't walk the leadoff man unless you're K-Rod... Mobile Top of the 7th Pitching Change: Tanner Poppe replaces Drew Gagnon, batting 8th, replacing shortstop Shea Vucinich. Defensive Substitution: Nick Shaw replaces pitcher Drew Gagnon, batting 9th, playing shortstop. Ryan Court walks. Evan Marzilli out on a sacrifice bunt, pitcher Tanner Poppe to first baseman Nick Ramirez. Ryan Court to 2nd. Offensive Substitution: Pinch-hitter Gerson Montilla replaces Bradin Hagens. Gerson Montilla singles on a ground ball to shortstop Nick Shaw. Ryan Court to 3rd. Sean Jamieson reaches on a fielder's choice out, pitcher Tanner Poppe to catcher Shawn Zarraga. Ryan Court out at home. Gerson Montilla to 2nd. Tom Belza singles on a line drive to left fielder Kentrail Davis. Gerson Montilla scores. Sean Jamieson scores. Tom Belza to 2nd. Fielding error by left fielder Kentrail Davis. Jake Lamb grounds out to first baseman Nick Ramirez. *** Huntsville Game Two Box Score Fifty-two strikes, only 22 balls for LHP Jed Bradley, nice. Huntsville Game Two Game Log Huntsville Bottom of the 3rd Hainley Statia grounds out, shortstop Sean Jamieson to first baseman Jon Griffin. Nick Shaw pops out to shortstop Sean Jamieson. Jed Bradley singles on a ground ball to left fielder Tom Belza. Kentrail Davis grounds out to first baseman Jon Griffin. Jedidiah Custer Bradley singled in his first pro at-bat. James (Jimmy) Jacob Nelson is 0-for-55 as a pro.

Nashville greeted Redbirds reliever Pedro Feliciano by loading the bases with no outs. Elian Herrera (2-for-3) drew a bases-loaded walk to force home Nashville's first run of the day. Hector Gomez followed with a two-run single up the middle. Later in the frame, Eugenio Velez scored on a Hunter Morris groundout that cut the Memphis lead to 9-4. AUDIO: Hector Gomez 2-Run Single

Lieser gets promotion to Class High-A Andy Rennecke, St. Cloud (MN) Times Getting told to pack your bags can be very good or very bad in minor league baseball. When former St. Cloud State pitcher Scott Lieser got a phone call from the Milwaukee Brewers' assistant director of the minor leagues, he didn't know what to think. Lieser was told to pack his bags. Lieser responded to the man at the other end of the line by saying he was staying where he was and that he was going to pitch as soon as he could. "I said 'hey, I'm not going home," Lieser said with a chuckle. Instead, Lieser was told to pack his bags for Florida. He was headed to play for the Brewers' high Class A affiliate, the Brevard County (Fla.) Manatees of the Florida State League. Brevard County plays its games in Viera, Florida. "He was pulling a fast one on me. The first thing he told me was that the minor league director wasn't happy with me and that I should pack up. I'm glad it was the other way around. I've been throwing well at extended spring training. I kept throwing strikes and doing what I had to do to be called up," Lieser said. Lieser, 24, admitted he gave himself a fist pump when he heard the good news. "I called my family and my fiancee and they were all pretty excited. There were a lot of good emotions flowing through me. My dad was pretty proud. That left a lump in my throat," Lieser said. The Browerville High School graduate got his first action for Brevard County against the Pittsburgh Pirates' high Class A team on June 2. He threw two scoreless innings, didn't give up a hit and struck out two. It wasn't a bad minor-league debut at all. "I was a little nervous coming out of the pen, more so than I was for the extended spring games," Lieser said. "It was more excited nerves than anything else. I thought I might have gotten the call sooner, but I thought it would have been for the low Class A team." "I was willing to go wherever they sent me. It doesn't matter now." Lieser kept his fastball down in his debut and incorporated his split-finger fastball as much as he could. He's adapted to life as a reliever after spending his high school and college careers as a starter. "I'm the middle-inning relief guy right now," Lieser said. "I'm used to it. I have a good routine going. It's been working so far for me. My arm was was built for being a reliever. I can throw every day and my arm never gets too sore, knock on wood. That's a big thing. It doesn't take me that long to get ready. "It would be great to start again, but I don't care. I'll do whatever the organization asks of me." Lieser is just glad to be where he is. Asked if he hopes to get promoted to Double-A by the end of the year, he was very humble. "I don't know if that's going to happen. There are some guys here who have been to Double-A and want to get back. A lot would have to happen for me for that to happen this year," Lieser said. "This is such a crazy game. I always keep an even-keel mindset. You can't get too high or too low. Otherwise, you're asking for trouble."

So the 6th round pick Burkhalter signs for $200,000, below the slot value of $251,900.

Pitcher Burkhalter signs with Brewers Ruston ace, sixth round draft pick signs contract in front of family, friends by Tabby Soignier, Monroe (LA) News-Star Ruston pitcher David Michael Burkhalter shakes hands with Milwaukee Brewers scout Scott Nichols after signing a Major League Baseball contract. / Tabby Soignier photo/The News-Star http://cmsimg.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DI&Date=20140608&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=306090011&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Pitcher-Burkhalter-signs-Brewers The McAllister’s Deli in Monroe had no significance to Ruston pitcher David Michael Burkhalter before Sunday. It was just a perfect meeting place off Interstate 20 for his family and the Milwaukee Brewers scout, and now the restaurant will always signify the start of Burkhalter’s trek to the Major Leagues. The right hander signed a contract with the franchise after the Brewers selected Burkhalter in the sixth round of the First Year Players Draft on Friday. “It’s been two days, but it still hasn’t sunk in,” Burkhalter said. “I don’t think it will until I get out on the field.” The pitcher who graduated from Ruston High School less than a month ago signed a $200,000 signing bonus and will report to Arizona on Tuesday for rookie ball. Burkhalter originally planned on playing collegiate baseball at ULM when he signed with the Warhawks this past November, but the deal was too much to pass up. He and his family — parents David and Suzanne, older sisters Lindsey, Lexi and Arielle and younger brother Ayres — were able to keep the gold from the ULM maroon and gold but paired it with navy (the Brewers colors) on Sunday. Two of the three sisters are married with the other one engaged, but Ayres (age 11) will have a tougher time being away from his brother. For one, he was banking on being the ULM bat boy next year but really it will be just being away from his one brother, whose side he never left Sunday, including the private meeting with the parents and scout. Ayres was right in the middle of it. “I think it kinda hit them (my parents) after,” Burkhalter said. “They were like, ‘What’s your brother going to do?’” That tight knit bond between Burkhalter and his family also stood out to the scout as an asset too, rather just his talents on the mound. “When I got to know him a little better and know the family, I thought, ‘This kid is really good,’” said Scott Nichols, who is the deep south scouting supervisor for the Brewers. “There’s a lot of talent out there, but you have to have the total package. With the make up, the work habits, along with his tools, it takes more than just tools to make it.” Nichols is in his third year with the Milwaukee organization and prior to that he spent 23 years with the St. Louis Cardinals and remembers watching the last major pitcher that went to the Brewers from Northeast Louisiana — ULM’s Ben Sheets, who went 10th overall in the 1999 draft after three years when then-NLU. “Oh yeah,” Nichols recalled. “He’s a great guy.” The first time Nichols laid eyes on Burkhalter was last summer during the East West Showcase in Syracuse, New York and then again in January at the Marucci Showcase. “Then I was lucky enough to see him in New Orleans at a tournament, and I had my boss with me, and my boss was like, ‘Scott, keep me posted on this guy because I like what he’s doing,’” Nichols said. “He can pitch. He’s already got the mechanics and his size.” Burkhalter posted an 11-1 record as a junior with a 0.93 ERA prior to signing with ULM last fall. This past season he finished 7-3 with a 0.70 ERA for the Bearcats, while giving up seven earned runs in 70 innings pitched and struck out 104 batters. “I think it’s the way he goes about everything,” Nichols said. “The way he prepares before his starts, he prepares like the pros do already. He’s ahead of the game there, so now he’s going to get professional instruction from these guys and they’re going to love him because when they see him they’re gonna be like, ‘Oh my God.’”

Brevard County - AUDIO: Andrew Luftglass of the Manatees Radio Network is joined by Nathan Orf to talk about Orf's home run that wasn't AUDIO, Game Highlights: LHP Hobbs Johnson throws a career-high 7.2 innings in a 5-2 'Tees victory Includes the Orf catch described above...

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/1/7/0/78915170/cuts/Johnson_6.8_3_640x360_11ruq8bf_7jbdulo0.jpg Brevard County Manatees starting pitcher Hobbs Johnson threw a career high 7.2 innings and allowed two runs on six hits in a 5-2 win over the Tampa Yankees on Sunday night at Space Coast Stadium in Viera. (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography) *** How fantastic is that photo? The outfield sign logo looks like it's the baseball out of Johnson's hands. And that one line doesn't do it justice, I know...

Rattler Radio Blog - Postgame Entry Audio, photo, and yes, playoff possibilities!

4 (116). Troy Stokes, CF, Calvert Hall College HS, MD Young Mr. Stokes is in, will be in Milwaukee Tuesday.

No surprise - OF Brandon Diaz

18 (536). Luke Curtis, RHP, Pittsburgh The latest player to be placed in bold in our Official Signing Thread. @LCurtiz_13 It's official! Very excited to be a part of the @Brewers organization! Can't wait to be on the plane in the AM and off to Montana! #BrewCrew

AUDIO via Jeff Hem's blog -- "Today’s interview is with right-hander Kyle Heckathorn, who was thrust into a starter’s role last night when Mike Fiers was scratched and eventually recalled to the Brewers. Heckathorn discusses his four-inning shutout effort last night, his season so far, the run to the NCAA Super Regional his alma mater, Kennesaw State, enjoyed this year, and his love for Nashville and country music."

Nice May 20th article on the 5th round 3B -- For IU's DeMuth, it's dream over money

More twitter love from 6th round Mississippi St. RHP David Burkhalter -- Thankful for the opportunity to chase my dreams as I transition from a Bulldog to a @Brewers! Grateful for all the support during this time!

Winnipeg hurler taken by Brewers Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg banged out a pair of hits Saturday when two of the city's top players were chosen in the MLB first-year player draft. Pitcher Ben Onyshko, 17, got the call he was waiting for when the Milwaukee Brewers took him in the 16th round (476th overall). He was the sixth Canadian chosen in the draft. Chris Shaw, a catcher at Midland Junior College in Texas, was taken in the 14th round (435th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals, the fifth Canadian chosen. Onyshko, a 6-2, 205-pound southpaw, can now accept a baseball scholarship to attend Stetson University in DeLand, Fla., or sign with the Brew Crew and turn pro this summer if offered a contract. "He's a competitive kid and he's come a long way," Baseball Canada's director of national teams Greg Hamilton told Alexis Brudnicki of canadianbaseballnetwork.com. "He's in an enviable spot. He's got a scholarship to Stetson, which is obviously a very good Division I program, and he's a very good student -- there's a good match there athletically and academically. And he put himself in a position to be considered reasonably well in the draft. "So is he ready; can he go out and survive in professional baseball? He's got the ability to survive, there's no doubt about it... He's left-handed and he's 88 to 90 (m.p.h) with a decent breaking ball and some compete level and a feel for a changeup. So can he survive in the pro world? Sure. But he's also got a real good chance to be a really good collegiate pitcher too." Onyshko moved to Vauxhall, Alta., when he was 15 to attend the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball. There he honed his skills in a baseball-intensive environment and also became a member of Canada's national junior team. This spring, pitching with the junior team, he faced Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista with the bases loaded in a Florida exhibition game. He held the $14-million per year superstar to a sac fly and gave up two runs on four hits over his three innings against Toronto. http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/240*308/5944210.jpg Ben Onyshko From March 11th -- Canadian teenage pitcher Ben Onyshko has day to remember against the Blue Jays *** Shaw is a graduate of the Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Academy in Calgary, where he moved to from Winnipeg to complete his final year of high school. This season with Midland he hit .384 with 14 HRs and 63 RBIs in 57 games. Shaw, 6-1, 195-pounds, had announced he will be playing at the University of Oklahoma for the start of the 2014 school year. It was not immediately known if he would sign a pro contract. He was drafted by the Brewers in the 38th round in 2012, but opted to remain in school.