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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.

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."

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.

Mismatched pitching duo leads Alabama Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Jimmy Nelson is the intimidating hurler once dubbed 'Sasquatch' by teammates. Then there's Nathan "Peanut'' Kilcrease, a foot shorter and the other half of Alabama's formidable pitching duo. Crimson Tide coach Mitch Gaspard calls the two "1 and 1A'' in his starting rotation. Nelson and Kilcrease have helped propel Alabama through a late-season surge that led the team to an improbable run in the Southeastern Conference tournament and into an NCAA regional. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Nelson tossed three straight complete games during the Tide's eight-game winning streak that ended with an extra-inning loss to LSU in the tournament championship game. He compiled a 1.67 ERA with 25 srikeouts and just four walks in that span. Nelson also pitched two scoreless innings of relief in the SEC title game. The 5-foot-6, 160-pound Kilcrease was 2-0 during the win streak. He started three games and posted a 2.39 ERA in 26 1/3 innings. "It's fun. Once you kind of get into a groove, until you do something to alter that, it can go as long as you want it to,'' Kilcrease said. "Me and Jimmy, all of our pitches are there from the very start. Our location has been spot-up every start the last three weeks. "The team is energized behind us. They're making big plays behind us. They're getting big hits.'' Different as they appear, Nelson and Kilcrease share two important bonds: Friendship and competitiveness, in everything from the "Call of Duty'' video game to their pitching lines. "Since the very first game, we compare stats after every game: Opposing team batting average, ERA, strikeout/walk ratio,'' Kilcrease said. "It gives us the edge against other teams. When you compete against somebody on your team, it makes you better going against other teams.'' As for the video game: "He's played it longer,'' Kilcrease said, "so he's a lot better.'' They've become almost a tag-team lately, a 1-2 punch that has taken turns taking over games. Their teammates even had to come up with matching nicknames. "They call him a Mound Cat,'' Kilcrease said, "and me a Mound Kitten.'' Kilcrease (6-2, 2.47) has only made four starts in 31 appearances, but has earned a spot in the rotation. He thrives with accuracy over power; he has walked just two batters in his last three starts. Kilcrease throws a four-seam fastball, slider and changeup consistently for strikes. "He's a little bulldog out there, and everybody believes we can win behind him,'' Nelson said. "He just goes out there and is pretty relentless, just fills up the strike zone. That's why he's successful. He gets ahead of hitters and doesn't mess up very often. "No matter how big or small you are, if you've got a three-pitch mix can throw for strikes you're going to be successful.'' His size is evident in both his approach and his nickname. "We call him Peanut so much we forget his first name,'' Nelson said. Kilcrease draws motivation from skeptics who didn't think he could be a college pitcher because of his stature. "I guess I have the will to win, not just the want to win,'' he said. "After hearing so long I'd never make it to the next level - 'You're short, you're not going to make it.' I just draw from that.'' Nelson (8-2, 3.69) was just 5-6 in two seasons entering his junior year, but then led the Florida Summer Collegiate League last summer in innings pitched and strikeouts. He said the turnaround has been more about his head than his arm. "The first two years I always had good stuff, but I didn't have the maturity here or the confidence,'' Nelson said. "But I really wanted to win for this team. I hate losing. I hate that more than anything I do. I didn't want to see or feel the feeling I had after I lost my freshman and sophomore year. "They kept throwing me out there, that's a credit to them. They never gave up on me.''

26th-round LHP Daniel Gibson was Baseball America's #148 overall talent: Gibson's MLB.com scouting video

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)

Regis rising senior to ride the Green Wave of Tulane Dylan Butler/Five Boro Sports Chris Bates said he’s always hoped that one day he’d be able to pitch at a major Division I school. But that was more of a dream for the Regis left-hander, until the 6-foot-4 rising senior drove to Georgia with his father, Chris, and younger brother, Schuyler, for the WWBA Wood Bat 17U Perfect Game tournament earlier this month. Pitching for the Taconic Rangers, the Ossining, Westchester native caught the eye of coaches from Tulane University. On Thursday, Bates verbally committed to play for the Green Wave, which competes in Conference USA. “All those big programs – Tulane, Rice, North Carolina – it’s always been a dream that I’d love to go there,” Bates said. “Now its a reality.” This isn’t the same Chris Bates who had a decent junior year at Regis despite battling injuries. Now fully healthy for the first time in his high-school career, Bates has added three to five miles per hour on his fastball and was clocked in Georgia throwing 88 mph. That’s all the Green Wave coaches needed. Bates was still skeptical about Tulane since it was in the heart of Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. But those fears subsided when Bates toured the campus, including the $10.5 million Greer Field at Turchin Stadium, a 5,000-seat baseball jewel built in 2008. “I went down there and was amazed at the campus,” Bates said. “It’s the complete opposite of what you’d think of it, there were beautiful buildings and the classrooms were amazing. When I went down, that sealed the deal for me.” Bates, who also drew interest from the University of Richmond, had plenty of time to think about his future on the 19-hour ride back home. But “somewhere in Kentucky,” Bates said he called the Tulane coaching staff and verbally committed. “I’m in disbelief now,” said Bates, who will attend Tulane with former Regis teammate Brendan Graham. Bates, who throws a two-seam and a four-seam fastball, along with a curveball and a change-up, will get both academic and baseball scholarship money at Tulane. “Tulane is a good fit for Chris both academically and athletically,” Regis coach Mike Skrapits said. “The coach (Rick Jones) has a very good reputation, so we know he’ll be in good hands. It’s an exciting time for Chris and his family as well as for Regis, because we’ve never sent a player to a college baseball program of Tulane’s caliber.” Bates said he started to take pitching more seriously during the playoffs when he came out of the bullpen to replace Nick Thomas in an elimination game against St. Peter’s. “The ball was coming out of my hand a lot different than it was all season,” Bates said. “(Coach) made a comment about how hard I was throwing and asked where did that come from? That’s when I realized there is another level I have.” He took that new attitude into the summer and he said he has never pitched better in his life. “I haven’t had any bad outings,” Bates said. “One was OK and the others were great.” Bates has dreams of following his father’s footsteps and even going a bit further. His father Chris signed a pro contract before injuring his rotator cuff. And Bates figures Tulane, which has had 40 players selected in the Major League Baseball amateur draft – including four in the firs -round and another in the sandwich round – since 1994, and a total of 56 players who have signed professional contracts, is the perfect place to make that next step. “My ultimate goal is to go past college into professional ball,” Bates said. “That would be a great way to get that start.” But first Bates is going to rest a bit and get ready for his final season of high-school ball in the spring. “I’m feeling really good about this coming season,” Bates said.

Pierce drafted in 7th round, Rutchkyj in the 16th Mary Caton/Windsor Star Joel Pierce became the highest local pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball draft when he was selected in the seventh round (219th overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday. The hard throwing right hander learned of his selection just moments after pitching the Massey Mustangs into the final for OFSAA baseball in Toronto. Left-handed Evan Rutckyj, of St. Joseph high school, was taken 505th overall in the 16th round by the New York Yankees. Calls seeking comment from Rutckyj's advisor, Toronto's Dan Lawson, were not returned. Eslewhere in Toronto, the 17-year-old Pierce struck out nine and gave up four hits and one run in Massey's 3-1 victory over Pickering St. Mary at Connorvale Park . He'll play shortstop for Massey in today's 1 p.m. gold-medal game against their crosstown rivals from St. Anne. "It's really been a good day," Pierce said Tuesday afternoon. When Massey's game ended, Pierce's mom told him the draft was in the seventh round and at that moment, his cell phone rang. It was Brewers' scout, Jay Lapp, who works out of London, telling him the good news. "He just said have fun and we'll talk business later," Pierce said. A member of Canada's junior national program, Pierce shut his phone off for the game and put the draft out of his mind. "I didn't think about it," he said. "I was in the zone of the game." Pierce collected a pair of infield hits and scored an insurance run on a suicide squeeze play. Prior to the draft, Pierce hoped his hometown Detroit Tigers might call his name but he knows Milwaukee is a solid option. "They have a great history with Canadians," Pierce said. Doug Melvin, the Brewers' general manager, is from nearby Chatham and Gord Ash, the vice-president and assistant GM, is from Toronto. Over a six-year period ending with the 2009 draft, the Brewers drafted 37 Canadians, that's 17 more than the Toronto Blue Jays during the same period. There are 11 Canadians in the Brewers' system right now, including Amherstburg native Chris Dennis, an outfielder with the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Sarnia native Nick Bucci, a right handed pitcher, is also with Wisconsin. Pierce has signed a letter of intent to play collegiately for Coastal Carolina so he'll have to make a decision soon as to which direction he's going to take. "I'll have to talk it over with family and advisors and decide which is the best route for me," he said. "It's a win/win situation."

Sun Prairie native Kurtis Muller was just drafted by the Reds in the 22nd round out of Iowa.

MLB.com scouting video on Rowan Wick Baseball America:

Looks like 18th-rounder Thomas Keeling might be. Baseball America had him in their top 200 (#189) This year's Del Howell?

Baseball America:

16th-rounder Andrew Morris is the third Brewers redraft already; he was previously drafted by them in the 44th round last year. MLB.com scouting video on Morris Baseball America:

Baseball America on Greg Holle from 2007:

Fourth-round picks Trent Mummey, Hunter Morris ready to embark on pro careers Evan Woodbery/The Auburn Beat Auburn first baseman Hunter Morris was growing increasingly worried Tuesday on the second day of the MLB amateur draft. The first three rounds were in the books, and Morris' name had yet to be called. "I was on the phone with my dad, kind of thinking, 'What's going on?' Morris said. A few seconds later, his dad interrupted to congratulate him. Morris was selected in the fourth round by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 129th overall pick. Teammate Trent Mummey was picked by the Baltimore Orioles just minutes earlier with the 118th selection. "I'm in a good situation," Morris said. "It's a good organization." Morris said he's had frequent contact with the Brewers going back to his high school years, so he was not surprised by the pick. The Brewers Double-A affiliate in the Southern League is in Huntsville, Morris' hometown. "I would like to everything I can to not spend too much time in Huntsville," Morris said. "I'd like to get to Milwaukee as soon as I can."

White is the second redraft already this year (Hawn); they drafted him in the 33rd round in 2008.

College Splits on Rafael Neda: "As good as some of the C's who went 5 rounds ago." Neda's college splits Neda's MLB.com scouting video Baseball America:

MLB.com scouting video on Yadiel Rivera Baseball America:

Haudricourt

College Splits on Austin Ross: "Nice pick for 8th round." Ross's college splits MLB.com scouting video on Ross

Baseball America:

MLB.com scouting video on Cody Hawn. MLB.com scouting video on Joel Pierce.

Baseball America:

The Brewers drafted Cody Hawn once already, in the 23rd round of 2007. College splits for Hawn.

Matt Miller's college splits Baseball America: