battlekow

They went out on a high note, though, drafting Chad Jones from LSU--that's Chad Jones, former star safety for LSU and 3rd round draft pick by the (New York) Giants. As Jim Callis said about an hour beforehand: "At this point, considering what's left in the #mlbdraft, I wouldn't think twice about taking a flier on LHP/OF/S Chad Jones."

Just to be clear, that is indeed Bill Schroeder's son. And they followed that pick by taking Marques Kyles, the son of bullpen coach Stan Kyles, in the next round. Marques is a 6'9" (!) LHP.

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)

Jim Callis:

Cameron Garfield has walked three times today. He walked three times in May.

ESPN scouting report on Dylan Covey:

ESPN scouting report on Tyler Thornburg:

Keith Law on the Brewers' second day: The Brewers took a number of polished, low-upside college arms on day two, led by Alabama's Jimmy Nelson (55 fastball 45 slider) and hard-throwing Tyler Thornburg. Fourth-rounder Hunter Morris doesn't project to make enough contact to stick in the big leagues given his limited defensive profile, and Tennessee's Cody Hawn is cut from similar cloth. Twentieth-rounder Shea Vucinich is a solid defensive shortstop but hit just .261 this spring with aluminum. Tough signs include Daniel Gibson, a lefty from the Tampa area who's committed to Florida.

Four Alabama players taken in MLB draft Aaron Suttles/TideSports.com Nelson was asleep Monday morning when his phone started ringing. “It was my wake-up call this morning. Five or six teams were calling me telling me they wanted me,” Nelson said. “I hadn't met with or talked to anyone with the Brewers at all this season. I've heard they're a good organization with a good minor league situation. It looks good.” The 6-foot-6 right-hander, who was drafted in the 39th round coming out of high school, improved his stock with a stellar junior campaign. The Niceville, Fla., native is 8-3 win a 3.92 ERA in 16 starts this season and has been a key component in the Crimson Tide's late-season run. http://www.tidesports.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=TL&Date=20100609&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=100609594&Ref=AR&Profile=1011&MaxW=600&border=0(Jason Braverman)

FanGraphs' Dan Budreika on 35th-round pick Taylor Mark: "biiiiiiiig, physical HS C outta AZ goes to the brewers in round 35...big kid. some question ability to stay behind plate. AZ commit. likely a tough sign since he went so late. plays with intensity"

Former Niceville star Nelson drafted in 2nd round by Brewers Adam Pruiett/Crestview News Bulletin As fellow members of the University of Alabama pitching staff jumped around him in jubilation, Jimmy Nelson sat still in the training room. The former Niceville star had just been chosen in the second round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday by the Milwaukee Brewers, but his initial reaction was to check the facts instead of burst into celebration. “They freaked out more than I did,” he said of his Crimson Tide teammates. “I just wanted to make sure it was the right James Nelson.” Indeed it was. The Alabama junior right-hander was taken 64th overall by the Brewers, right about where Nelson figured he’d go after pre-draft discussions with his advisor, Gavin Wright. Nelson said he was contacted by five or six teams Tuesday morning. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound hurler said the Brewers told him that they would select him if he was still available by their pick midway through the second round. Nelson has the option of returning to Alabama for his senior season but indicated that he would likely turn pro. He has until Aug. 16 to sign with Milwaukee and said he was “very satisfied” with where he was picked. “I don’t think it’s going to be that hard of a decision,” said Nelson, who was taken in the 39th round of the 2007 draft by the Cincinnati Reds before choosing to attend Alabama. Before the draft, the Brewers, Nelson and his representatives agreed on a ballpark figure for a signing bonus. But right now, Nelson isn’t thinking about that, noting his focus is on Clemson, Alabama’s opponent in the super regionals. He doesn’t intend to start weighing his options until the Tide’s season is over. Nelson is currently 8-3 with a 3.92 ERA and 94 strikeouts against 28 walks in 103.1 innings pitched. He’s thrown three complete games and opponents are hitting .256 against him. While Nelson wasn’t surprised by where he was chosen in the draft, the team caught him a little off guard. “There were some teams I actually thought liked me more than (the Brewers),” he said. “The draft is crazy like that.” “I am glad it’s over,” Nelson added. “It’s something I’ve worked extremely hard for and something others (family, former coaches and current coaches) have worked extremely hard for.” http://images.onset.freedom.com/wemcvarsity/l3pnbz-l3pnbgjimmynelsonwebactionpic2.jpg(AP Photo/John Amis)

Former Brewers farmhand Freddy Parejo hit for the cycle on Tuesday night.

Stars shut out by Smokies Aaron Morse Amaury Rivas tossed 6.2 innings of solid baseball, but the Huntsville Stars (27-32) provided no run support as they fell 3-0 to the Tennessee Smokies (35-23) Tuesday night. Tennessee would get all the runs they needed in the bottom half of the first. Tony Campana walked to lead-off the inning. One out later Ty Wright hit a deep fly to left that just got over the wall for a 2-0 Smokies lead. With two away, the Smokies strung together four consecutive singles, including a RBI base-hit off the bat of Josh Vitters to score Robinson Chirinos. The inning could have gotten worse, but on a Tony Thomas single to right, Caleb Gindl gunned down Brandon Guyer at the plate to end the frame. Chris Carpenter of the Smokies retired the first 10 hitters he faced before Lorenzo Cain legged out an infield single in the fourth. He stole second and moved to third on a ground-out. Cain was left stranded when Zelous Wheeler grounded out to end the inning. Lee Haydel drew a two-out walk in the fifth but was immediately caught trying to steal. Brett Lawrie smacked a two-out single in the sixth and would be left stranded when Cain grounded out. The Stars got a great scoring opportunity in the seventh against Carpenter. Gindl started things off with a single to left. He immediately stole second to put a man in scoring position with nobody out. After Wheeler struck out, the Smokies replaced Carpenter with the lefty Ryan Buchter. Taylor Green hit a hard shot to deep left off Buchter that Ty Wright chased down for the second out of the inning. Steffan Wilson followed with a pop-out and the Stars were denied again. Still down 3-0, the Stars made one last run at the game in the ninth. With one away, Cain legged out his second infield single of the day and advanced to second on a throwing error. Gindl drew a walk and the Stars brought the tying run to the plate in the form of Wheeler. Wheeler hit a grounder in the hole at short that Marwin Gonzalez chased down. He threw to second base to just barely get the diving Gindl for the second out of the inning. With runners at the corners, Green grounded into a force-out to end the game. Rivas (5-4) went 6.2 innings, giving up six hits and three runs. He walked two and struck out five. Five of the six hits he surrendered came in the first inning. Carpenter (5-2) was brilliant as he went 6.1 innings, scattering three hits, walking one and striking-out six. Buchter picked up his eighth hold of the year by going 1.2 innings and David Cales pitched the ninth for his fourth save of the season. With the loss, the Stars fall to 8.5 games back of the Smokies in the north division. They look to take the finale and the series on Wednesday. Josh Butler will be on the mound. First pitch is at 6:15 pm central time.

YSU’s Healey, Marzec selected in MLB draft Joe Scalzo/Vindy.com Around 7 p.m. on Tuesday night, YSU shortstop Jacke Healey was sitting next to his mom in his bedroom in Tunkhannock, Pa., playing Tiger Wood’s new game on XBox while the MLB draft tracker updated on a nearby computer. “I was just kind of talking about today when I glanced over and saw my name,” said Healey. “Then I got a big smile on my face.” Healey, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior, was picked by the Houston Astros in the 27th round, No. 813 overall. Minutes later, in Canton, Penguins senior pitcher Eric Marzec got a text message from one of his friends with the news about Healey. He’d just got off a plane after a vacation in Las Vegas with his mom and a few friends and had spent the day avoiding the computer. He knew the second day of the draft started at noon and ended with the 30th round. “So I knew it was about to be up,” said Marzec, who was mentally preparing himself for another day of waiting. “As nerve-wracking as it is, I just tried not to pay attention to it.” So, like Healey, he started playing Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2011 on his XBox. Then his phone lit up. It was a Brewers scout, telling him he’d just been picked in the 30th round, the 909th overall pick. “It’s a great day for Penguin baseball,” said YSU coach Rich Pasquale. “They’re just two good boys and they deserve what they get.” Healey and Marzec are the 16th and 17th Penguins to get drafted and the first since third baseman Brandon Caipen went to the Astros in the 28th round in 2006. YSU has never before had two players picked in the same season. Healey played at Potomac State (Junior) College before coming to YSU two years ago. A first-team all-Horizon League pick this year, Healey set single-season school records for homers (12), RBIs (59) and runs (63). “He’s a pro-style player,” Pasquale said. “He’s a hard worker, he understands the game and he plays the game like a big-leaguer. “He plays with a lot of confidence.” Three years ago, Pasquale was actually recruiting Potomac pitcher Andy Altemus (who ended up at West Virginia) when Altemus told him about Healey. A few weeks later, Pasquale flew to South Carolina, saw Healey play twice and offered him a scholarship. “I promised him he’d play every game here, and I don’t promise that to everybody,” said Pasquale. “We did the best we could on our end to develop him and give him the opportunity to play at the next level.” Healey said he appreciated it. “YSU gave me the opportunity to play Division I baseball,” he said. “No matter where you play, Youngstown State or Ohio State, you’re playing good competition week-in and week-out. “Coach Pasquale, Coach [Tom] Lipari and Coach [Craig] Antush gave me the chance to show my skills.” Marzec played the outfield and pitched relief for the Penguins, earning second team all-league honors the past two years. As his career wore on, it became clear pitching was his future — he has nine career saves — and he impressed the Minnesota Twins’ scouts at a predraft workout last week, hitting the low 90s on the radar gun. “He’s a hard-working kid and he deserves everything he gets,” said Pasquale. “He’s improved every year he’s been here.” Marzec was recruited by then-YSU coach Mike Florak out of Canton Central Catholic High School. After several schools backed off him due to an injury suffered his junior year, Florak gave him a chance. “I knew if I’d gone to a smaller school, I’d never know if I could have hacked at a Division I school,” Marzec said. “I owe YSU a lot.” Marzec also praised his agent, Michael Giorgio of National Sports Management, who has helped him with the transition from college to preparing for the draft. He said he’s had a goal of making the major leagues since he was a seventh-grader, when he told everyone he was going to be a pro athlete and got mocking comments in return. “Everyone just shot me down,” he said. “That and 100 other comments on through the years, with everyone saying it wasn’t going to happen, I used that to drive me. “I was hoping to get drafted last year but it didn’t happen. But now the Brewers took a chance on me and I’m looking to make Youngstown proud and move on and go farther.”

Familiar face returns to Manatees' clubhouse Mark DeCotis/Florida Today Being back in the Brevard County Manatees clubhouse is the last place Logan Schafer figured he would be in the 2010 baseball season. But there he has been for four games and will be for an undetermined period, trying to regain his timing and his feel following a left groin tear and a hernia. The injuries, suffered in a winter program game before spring training, have cost the 2009 Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Player of the Year valuable time in his attempt to move up the organization ladder, especially since he had been extended an invitation to the Major League spring camp. Now, following day after frustrating day on a training table and in and he could be forgiven if he began searching for the nearest exit. But that's not Schafer's nature. "My expectations right now, until I get back to 100 percent, aren't too much based on my performance but a lot on getting my legs underneath me," he said before the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against Bradenton. "Trying to stay healthy for a while and trying really just to get myself going back to where I should be." It will be a long climb. "It's interrupted his year, it's a pretty important year for him," said Manatees Manager Bob Miscik. "He's, right now, trying to get back to where he needs to be. And when you're coming into a season when other people are in mid-season form and you're back to square one, spring training type, it's difficult. He's going to be playing catch-up and it's going to add to his frustration. "It's hard to come back in the middle of the year." But, based on what Schafer, 23, has experienced, he believes he's up to it. And he has a solid fix on what's important. "When I get healthy -- I'm not going to say 100 percent -- but when I get healthy . . . I will never take a day for granted, a pitch for granted, an at-bat for granted," Schafer said. "When you have your health you don't even think about it, it's like the furthest thing from your mind. But when you're laid up on a table for 3 1/2, 4 months and now I'm just trying to get my legs back, because I didn't have spring training or anything. It's just tough." But he believes it's also made him stronger for what lies ahead, which could include surgery on the hernia at season's end. "I can easily say it's one of the hardest times I've had in my life," he said. "It's been mentally taxing. Obviously, the physical pain you go through, it is what it is. Everyone goes through those things. The mental hardships I've had to sit and kind of struggle through . . . has been really the toughest part." Schafer's goal is to get to Class AA Huntsville where several of his 2009 Manatees teammates and manager Mike Guerrero are now assigned, but he realizes he can't rush it. "It's not so much I've got to go 2-for-4 tonight or I've got to do this," he said. My expectations are I can get myself to a point where I can get comfortable quickly and get myself back ready to play every day." http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20100609&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=6090344&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0 (Craig Rubadoux/Florida Today)

Jim Callis, from the 5/17 Ask BA:

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.

Morris, Brewers surprised by fall to 4th round Jordan Schelling/MLB.com MILWAUKEE — Hunter Morris didn’t expect to still be on the board in the fourth round. The Brewers, who selected Morris with their fourth-round pick, didn’t either. With his name not being called through the first three rounds, Morris began to worry a bit. “I was on the phone with my dad,” Morris said, “and we were kind of sitting there with raised eyebrows, saying, ‘What’s going on?’” Morris, who said he was driving to his apartment at the time, got his answer shortly thereafter. As they were talking, his dad interrupted to congratulate him. After the wait, Morris was thrilled with the news and relieved for the process to be over with. With the 129th overall pick, just 11 slots after teammate Trent Mummey was taken by the Baltimore Orioles, the Milwaukee Brewers took Morris, a first baseman from Auburn. “He was too hard to pass up,” said Bruce Seid, scouting director. “We liked him a lot out of high school. We’ve known him a long time. … He fits the profile of what a first baseman should look like.” Morris, who was previously drafted by the Red Sox in 2007, has an above-average bat all around with impressive raw power as a left-handed hitter. On the basepaths, he’s said to have better-than-expected speed. Defensively, Morris has improved at first base and is considered athletic enough, with a good enough arm as well, to play a corner outfield spot. Physically, he’s drawn comparisons to Brad Hawpe of the Colorado Rockies. And while he was a little overweight early in his college career, he has lost some weight recently and changed his body significantly. Morris’ hometown, Huntsville, Ala., also happens to be the home of the Brewers’ Double-A affiliate in the Southern League, the Huntsville Stars. But after waiting longer than expected to hear his name called Tuesday, the Huntsville native didn’t have his sights set on his hometown Minor League club. “I would like to everything I can to not spend too much time in Huntsville. I’d like to get to Milwaukee as fast as possible,” Morris said. “I think I can bring a lot to that part of the organization. “There are a lot of people in Huntsville that have followed me and my baseball career. Hopefully, I’ll get to play in front of those fans here in the next year or so.”

Nelson keeps focus on College World Series Jordan Schelling/MLB.com MILWAUKEE — Aside from waking up to calls from a handful of Major League ballclubs, Tuesday was a relatively normal day for Jimmy Nelson. The junior right-hander from the University of Alabama began his day with some typical medical treatment, followed by weight lifting with his Crimson Tide teammates. Even when he was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round with the 64th pick of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, Nelson’s day didn’t change too much. “I got a lot of calls and text from people who wanted to congratulate me, but it was really a pretty normal day,” Nelson said. “But it feels great to be drafted. It’s almost unbelieveable really. It’s an honor to be picked by such a great organization.” Nelson’s day remained as normal as possible by design. That’s because the junior is keeping his focus on his team’s upcoming super regional series at Clemson, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday. As the team’s hottest pitcher, Nelson still expects to pitch this weekend after being drafted. “I absolutely want to pitch against Clemson,” Nelson said. “I want to do whatever I can to help this team get to, and hopefully win, the College World Series. I think that’s everyone’s goal on this team. But we’re still just going to take it one game at a time.” Nelson, at 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, certainly fits the Brewers’ criteria of a physical, hard-throwing guy. When they saw him pitch this year, the Brewers were very impressed. “He’s a big, hard-throwing guy,” said Bruce Seid, director of scouting for the Brewers. “I saw him pitch twice this year. He shut [Arkansas] down for five innings. At that time I said ‘Wow, this guy’s pretty good.’ “Then we saw him at the SEC [tournament] against Auburn and he just shut them out. He went nine innings, was throwing in the 90s in the ninth. He pitched with confidence, threw strikes. He’s a big kid, arm works, good delivery. So we thought this was a great choice.” The Florida native throws a fastball that can reach 94 mph and has a nice slider — a tilted, hard, late-breaking pitch — to go along with it. Nelson also has an average changeup, which has been suggested to need some work in order for him to be a starter in the big leagues. Whether he develops the changeup or not, Nelson sees himself with the potential to be a valuable starter at the next level. “I think I can bring a lot of consistency and be a reliable starter in the big leagues,” Nelson said. “I can throw a lot of innings and I think I can compete with anybody at any level. That’s what I love to do. I love to compete on the baseball diamond.”

Baseball America scouting report on Mike Walker:

So is Thomas Keeling (18th round).

Pitcher Gibson keeps Jesuit Tigers in hunt Adam Adkins/Tampa Tribune TAMPA - Just as Richie Warren has done throughout this postseason, Jesuit's coach will turn and hand the ball to Daniel Gibson Friday (click here for a live chat during the game). It probably isn't an unprecedented move to have the same pitcher start four consecutive postseason games, but it certainly would be considered rare in this day and age of high school baseball. It's a luxury Jesuit has with its senior ace, a player Warren described as the "ultimate competitor." "A lot of guys would have a tough time doing that," Jesuit pitching coach Geoff Goetz said, "but Gibby is a special guy." The Tigers have been fortunate to be able to lean on Gibson in each of the first three rounds on the postseason thanks to a bit of help with the schedule. They will do so again Friday (10 a.m.) in a Class 4A state semifinal matchup against Ponte Vedra at Port St. Lucie's Digital Domain Park with hopes that Gibson can lead them into Saturday's state title game. "We're really looking forward to see what he can do," Tigers senior first baseman Chris Pagliarulo said. What Gibson has done throughout the postseason is essentially put a string of exclamation marks on a stellar regular season. In three games, Jesuit's standout left-hander has allowed two earned runs and 12 hits in 182/3 innings. He also has struck out 20 during that stretch, while walking only four. "He's just been so great," Goetz said of Gibson, who is 13-0 with a 1.54 ERA on the year, "and he keeps getting better and better every outing." Gibson's signature outing this postseason might have been his region semifinal start against Bradenton Lakewood Ranch. The game was pushed back a day to accommodate Lakewood Ranch's prom, and with that extra day of rest and a low pitch count from his first postseason start three days earlier, Gibson asked for the ball again. He delivered six strong innings to power the Tigers to a 7-1 win. Of course, that didn't come as a surprise to anyone within the Tigers program. It's the type of performance they have seen their two-year captain deliver on a routine basis during his time with the program. That consistency is the reason Gibson's teammates have so much confidence in him when he's on the mound. "He's been doing this for so long, just amazing game after amazing game that he has, it's just like, 'Oh, that's Gibby.' That's just how he pitches," Tigers senior second baseman Nick Iacovella said. "When you get into big games like this, we know anything can happen. But when he's pitching, it's almost like we know the other team isn't going to hit him. We've just got to field the ball when they put it in play and take advantage of some opportunities on offense, and he'll close the game out for us." Barring some unforeseen events, Friday will be Gibson's final start in a Jesuit uniform. That's a fact not lost on Warren. But Jesuit's coach is hoping for one more stellar start from Gibson, which would help keep their hopes alive for the program's fourth state championship. "He's really had a great season. He's given us a quality start every time out," Warren said. "He's so confident in his ability, and the guys behind him are confident in him. When he gets the ball, we feel like we're going to be in the game, that he gives us a chance to stay in the game and win. "We're going to go down there to throw our best, and hopefully we can get into that state championship game and see what happens." http://www2.tbo.com/exposure/ar/659/372/2010/05/20/51889_sp0520prepbb.jpg

Jesuit ace Gibson a true student of the game Eduardo A. Encina/TampaBay.com TAMPA — The education of Jesuit senior pitcher Daniel Gibson continues every time he is on the mound, but also every week with an introspective discussion with his pitching coach. A pair of talented left-handers, separated by 13 years, sit across from each other and talk power pitching. Pitching coach Geoff Goetz, ace of the 1997 Jesuit national championship team and No. 6 overall draft pick the same year, asks the questions. And the discussion isn’t about blowing away the dozen or so pro scouts, who come to every one of Gibson’s outings, with his 93 mph fastball. “We talk a lot, and I think the biggest things I can pass on are the mistakes I made in pro ball that I just didn’t know,” said Goetz, who pitched in the minors for eight seasons until arm problems forced him from the game. “I got hurt, but there are so many reasons I got hurt. I was outside my comfort zone and I didn’t stay within myself, which is something I had done since Little League because I was always pitching to impress instead of concentrating on what could make me the best I could possibly be. “Gibby is already starting to get that now. He knows the importance of not doing that.” If Jesuit (27-3) advances to its first state tournament since 2006, Gibson will be the biggest reason. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound lefty will be the starter at Cape Coral Mariner on Friday, just as he has been the previous two region tournament games. “He put the team on his shoulders his junior year as a No. 1, and he’s taken the team on his shoulders this year,” Goetz said. “His numbers this year and the way he goes about his business speak for itself. He’s gotten better each time out. He’s gotten better each year and he’s never comfortable with thinking, ‘Well I’m good enough now.’ ” One of 15 seniors on this year’s team — 14 of whom played together since legion ball before their freshman year — Gibson (12-0, 1.59 ERA) has signed with Florida. But before he heads to Gainesville, he could get drafted in June’s MLB draft. He is projected to go anywhere from the second to seventh round. “It’s a great opportunity,” Gibson said. “But I’m excited about the opportunity I have with these guys. It’s been a great four years. We’ve had some ups and downs, mostly ups, but this year we have a really tight group of guys and it’s a great opportunity as a team to try to finish that last goal of winning that state championship.” Since his freshman year, Gibson has grown into a power pitcher, but under Goetz’s tutelage, he has become a better thinker. The scary part is his strikeout numbers — 110 in 74 2/3 innings — could be better, but Goetz has preached the value of getting outs more than strikeouts. Under that philosophy, Gibson has thrown his fastballs to be put in play early in the game, which lowers his pitch count. It’s an approach Goetz said will get him further at the next level, but for now, it allows Jesuit’s ace to be on the mound for the biggest games of the season. “It’s would be something I’ve tried to do all four years (get to state),” Gibson said. “At the beginning of the year, we set that as our main goal of the season. We’ve worked hard as team to get there and it would be a great accomplishment.”

Bernal's a Brewer Chuck King/FAU Owl Access FAU pitcher Ryan Bernal had heard too many stories about baseball players waiting around on draft day to hear their name, only to be disappointed as round after round flipped by without so much as a text message from an MLB team. So on Tuesday during the middle of the draft’s second day the senior right-handed reliever grabbed his glove and joined FAU teammate Dan Scheffler for a workout at their former school, Palm Beach State College. While Scheffler was in the cage, PBSC coach Alex Morales walked over and informed Bernal that he’d just been selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 23rd round. Nearly simultaneously Bernal received a phone call from the Brewers and texts from friends. “It sill hasn’t hit me yet,” said Bernal, who finished his senior season with a 6-3 record and a 3.00 ERA. “I still can’t believe it. The scout told me I’m leaving in a couple days for Montana to play in the Pioneer [League]."

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.