colbyjack

Round 41: John Poulk - 3B 6'2", 175 lbs, L/R - UNC Wilmington http://www.uncw.edu/athletics/2005-06%20Baseball/poulk_matt.jpg NOTES & INFO: Born 1/3/1983 UNC Wilmington player profile NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

Round 40: Alexander Koronis - RHP 6'2", 187 lbs, R/R - Monsignor Pace HS (FL) NOTES & INFO: Born 1/4/1988. Teammates of early rounders Chris Marrero and Adrian Cardenas at national powerhouse Monsignor Pace HS in Miami, FL. NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

SIGNED Round 39: Chuckie Caufield - RF 6'1", 185 lbs, R/R - University of Oklahoma http://sooner.nmn.speedera.net/pics5/200/OQ/OQQDBXVYIZOPTFN.20050923155907.jpg NOTES & INFO: Born 7/6/1983 Oklahoma player profile NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

Round 38: Todd Fitzgerald - LHP 5'11", 175 lbs, L/L - San Jose CC (CA) NOTES & INFO: Born 2/8/1987 NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

Round 37: Wes Munson - SS 6'2", 190 lbs, R/R - Fond du Lac HS (WI) http://www.perfectgame.org/players/images/PlayerImages/06pds27.jpg NOTES & INFO: Born 6/29/1987. Committed to the University of Missouri Scouting Wisconsin 2006 Wes Munson-Fond du Lac (Chad) Pierce's teammate at Fond du Lac, which will likely be a hot destination for local area scouts this spring. Munson is the team's starting shortstop, with a Major League frame, built wiry and strong at 6'2", 185 pounds. He displays very good actions on the infield, with good range, soft hands and a very strong throwing arm that should allow him to stick at the shortstop position at the next level. Munson also has very good hitting mechanics, with quick hands and balance that gives him a line-drive, contact hitting approach with good doubles power. His younger brother Sam, a high school sophomore, also plays on Fondy's Varsity squad, rounding out the left- side of the infield at third base. Wes Munson has committed to play for the Missouri Tigers. Perfect Game 2006 Pre-draft Showcase Perfect Game 2005 Spring Top Prospect Showcase Perfect Game 2005 Midwest Top Prospect Showcase NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

Round 36: Clay Jones - C 6'2", 205 lbs, R/R - Bibb County HS (AL) NOTES & INFO: Born 11/11/1987 NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

Round 35: Sanduan Dubose - 3B 6'0", 210 lbs, R/R - Stillman College (MS) http://www.stillman.edu/stillman/sports/sports453.jpg NOTES & INFO: Born 10/15/1982 NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE: June 8, 2006 Stillman Player Selected in Baseball Draft TUSCALOOSA, AL -- Sanduan Dubose, the only senior member of the 2006 Stillman College baseball team, was selected on the final day of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday. Dubose, who was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 35th round with the 1052nd pick, is the first Stillman athlete to be drafted by a professional sports franchise since Carl Hollis and Bernard Stranton were selected in the 1982 MLB draft. Hollis was taken in the 18th round with the 448th pick by the New York Mets and Stranton was picked in the 19th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 476th pick. "I'm glad that I was given an opportunity to go after my dream of being drafted by a Major League team," Dubose said. "The scouts for the Brewers saw me play a lot this year and I thought they would be interested in drafting me. I'm just happy that they selected me." The 6'0, 210 pound Meridian, Mississippi native led the Tigers in most offensive categories and was nationally ranked in the following NCAA categories: # 4 in slugging percentage, # 9 in home runs, # 10 in RBI, # 17 batting avg., # 38 in walks, and # 44 in triples. "I'm very happy for Sanduan," said Stillman head coach Donny Crawford. "Coaching Dubose this year has been a real joy for me. I don't know if I have ever been as excited to have a player on one of my teams. I told him that I was real proud of him."

SIGNED Round 34: Stuart Sutherland - RHP 6'1", 180 lbs, R/R - Dallas Baptist University (TX) http://www.dbu.edu/athletics/imageBank/baseball/roster/md_v_Stuart_Sutherland.jpg NOTES & INFO: Born 1/28/1984 Dallas Baptist player profile NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

SIGNED Round 33: Eric Newton - 2B 6'1", 190 lbs, R/R - Santa Clara University (CA) NOTES & INFO: http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/sacl/sports/m-basebl/auto_headshot/373097.jpeg Born 6/17/1984 Santa Clara player profile NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

Round 32: Nicholas Tyson - RHP 6'2", 175 lbs, R/R - Timber Creek Regional HS (NJ) NOTES & INFO: Born 1/13/1988 NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE: Added June 13, 2006 Link includes photo: Nick Tyson took a rare path to becoming a baseball player What's missing? By KEVIN ROBERTS Courier-Post Staff January 25, 2006 Nick Tyson took a rare path to becoming a baseball player. Survival. "My brothers are six and eight years older than me," said Tyson, who was a first-team All-Group 3 pitcher and outfielder as a junior last spring at Timber Creek High School. "They played football and they wrestled. And they just beat up on me. My only chance was to throw something at them. And, you know, I only had one shot at it, so I had to be accurate. "And that's how I developed a strong arm." Tyson laughed. He was kidding. A little. "It was something I could say I was better at than my brothers," Tyson said. "And when you're better at something, you stick with it. They always say they left the baseball to me. "But I love to play. That game is like life, to me." It's a rarity to hear Tyson talk like that -- a black kid who loves to play baseball. He grew up playing baseball, and when he looks around, looks back on those childhood games, he notes: "There's only one or two (black teammates). It's dropping off a lot." On Tuesday, Jackie Robinson would have turned 87. And any discussion of the importance of the man who broke baseball's color barrier has to eventually come around to this inescapable reality: Fewer and fewer black kids are following in Robinson's footsteps. "They're just not coming out," said Ralph Williams, who has been the baseball coach at Camden High School for 12 years. "Each year it gets harder and harder. "Baseball, for black kids, is like a dying art." Said Pete Perez, president of Camden's Cramer Hill Little League: "Our coaches all say they wish they had more black kids. But we have very, very few." In last year's World Series, the Houston Astros became the first team since the 1953 Yankees to play for the championship without a single black player on the roster. Since 1975, when 27 percent of major-leaguers were black, the numbers have steadily declined. Last season 8.9 percent of major-league players were black -- the lowest percentage since the 1950s. It's not just the major leagues. According to the latest NCAA figures, blacks made up 6.8 percent of Division I scholarship baseball players. There were 43 black players in the NCAA basketball tournament's Final Four. In the Final Four of the College World Series, there were four black players. Four. Florida lapped the field with two. Arizona State -- alma mater of Barry Bonds and Reggie Jackson -- had zero. And on it goes, down to high schools and Little League, where black players are becoming a rarity. "They say the game is slow, compared to football and basketball," Williams said. "Kids can't relate to it. And, you know, they don't see anybody in the stands that looks like them." That's an important point. According to the Journal of Leisure Studies, only one in 20 fans through the turnstiles of major-league ballparks is black. There is only one black general manager in the major leagues -- Kenny Williams, general manager of the world champion Chicago White Sox. Ralph Williams notes that the inner cities don't have proper "feeder" programs to get kids into the game at a young age. Often his kids are playing organized baseball for the first time in high school -- a staggering disadvantage in a sport where the best players have been at it since early childhood. Perez said Cramer Hill's Little League has around 300 participants. Of those, Perez estimates that around 10 percent are black. "The majority of our league is Hispanic," Perez said. "The black kids, they just seem more geared toward basketball and football." Camden High School doesn't have batting cages -- Williams throws batting practice in the school's gym, when he can get it. And Williams said his kids don't have the resources to go to Phillies games, attend camps, get year-round instruction. "You can play basketball or football once a week and keep your skills," Williams said. "You can't do that in baseball. It takes a lot of time to be good. You've got to work every day. It's tough." The simple fact is that baseball is an inherited game. It is not a game you learn to play and love as an adult. It's practically impossible to simply pick up the game; baseball skills are acquired and refined through endless repetition. There is nothing natural about any of it. If you don't love the game as a kid, you can learn to appreciate it -- but it's hard to learn to love it. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has often said he's distressed by the decline of the black player. The game is trying to address that through the RBI program -- Reviving Baseball in the inner cities. RBI is in its 17th season, providing disadvantaged youths the opportunity to learn baseball. The Phillies were among the first teams to adopt the RBI program, which began in Los Angeles and by 1994 had expanded to every major league team and now encompasses 190 leagues in 185 cities. Each year Phillies manager Charlie Manuel donates his fees from various clinics to the RBI program. Still, the game has a lot of work to do. It's certainly possible black kids will learn once again to love baseball. It's certainly possible that they recognize the importance and gravity of what Robinson did, and the opportunities they have because of him. But that history does not pull them toward baseball. "They don't understand the history," Williams said. "They just don't know. They might know that Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. But how good he was? How important he was? What he meant? I don't think they know. "I try to teach kids not just how to play the game, but how to love it. It's just that each year it gets tougher." ***Added June 13, 2006 Six more from S.J. picked in the draft KEVIN MINNICK Courier-Post The second day of Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft proved to be a day of firsts for several South Jersey high school programs. Jim Birmingham and A.J. Casario of Overbrook and Timber Creek's Nick Tyson became the first players ever drafted out of their respective high schools Wednesday. Tyson, a right-hander from Timber Creek, was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 16th pick of the 32nd round (962nd overall). He's the first player in the school's five-year history to be drafted. "It feels great. I'm speechless," Tyson said. "I didn't think it would be this big of a deal, but when it did come it hit me like a hard punch to the face." Tyson said the Brewers selected him as a draft-and-follow. He expects to play at a junior college in Florida and see how things progress. "I have things that need to be perfected," said Tyson, who was in school working on a science project when a teacher pulled him aside and broke the news. "I was surprised. I was flipping out. I saw it coming, but didn't know when it would be." "We were waiting just to see what would happen on the second day," Timber Creek coach Phil Fiore said. "We're excited for him, it's a special time. It will be interesting how it plays out."

Round 31: Robert Bryson - RHP 6'1", 200 lbs, R/R - William Penn HS (DE) NOTES & INFO: Born 12/11/1987 NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE: June 8th, 2006: Link includes photo: Bryson drafted, weighs college By BUDDY HURLOCK The Delaware News Journal Even though the next level of baseball where he will play likely will be college, Wednesday still was a special day for William Penn High's Rob Bryson. Bryson was selected Wednesday during the Major League Baseball first-year player draft, in the 31st round by the Milwaukee Brewers. The draft started Tuesday and resumed Wednesday with the 19th round. Bryson, a 6-foot-1 right-hander, said his selection is of the "draft and follow" variety -- when teams choose players who plan to attend junior college. Bryson said he will attend Okaloosa-Walton College in Niceville, Fla., which has offered him a scholarship, or Cecil (Md.) Community College. Milwaukee would retain the rights to sign Bryson up until a week before next year's draft. "Draft and follow is better," Bryson said, "because I don't think I'm ready to go and sign right now. It'll give me an extra year under my belt. I'll get to see better competition in [college] and they can follow me all year long. Hopefully, I can show what I can do." William Penn coach Mel Gardner worked as an associate scout for the Texas Rangers in 2001 and 2002. He said the draft-and-follow approach is done "with a lot of kids who are picked in the later rounds." "Sometimes they will sign you," Gardner said. "But it can help you and it gives you a chance to grow for a year and get better. And if you do real well, you have something to bargain with. They don't want you to go back into the draft and go to another team." William Penn lost 2-1 to Caravel in this year's state championship, when Bryson pitched. Caravel scored two unearned runs in the top of the first inning, and Bryson went on to retire the last 18 batters he faced. In the regular season, Bryson went 8-1 with five complete games and a 1.00 ERA, striking out 97 and walking 10 in 53 innings. "I was kind of hoping to be drafted a little higher," Bryson said. "But I was more or less going to be a draft-and-follow."

SIGNED Round 30: Jordan Swaydan - C 6'2", 210 lbs, R/R - San Diego State University http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/sdsu/sports/m-basebl/auto_headshot/375300.jpeg NOTES & INFO: Born 2/1/1984 San Diego State player profile NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

Round 29: David Newmann - LHP 6'0", 185 lbs, L/L - Texas A&M http://www.aggieathletics.com/sports/baseball/images/mugs/2006/newmann-david-mug.jpg NOTES & INFO: Born 6/24/1985 Texas A&M player profile NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

Round 28: Terrell Alliman - RF 6'3", 185 lbs, R/R - Bluevale Collegiate Institute (Waterloo, Ontario) http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/alliman1.jpg NOTES & INFO: Born 10/15/1988 Team Ontario player profile NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

Round 27: T.J. Macy - RHP 6'3", 210 lbs, R/R - Scottsdale CC (AZ) NOTES & INFO: Born 8/18/1986 Went 4-3 with a 3.29 ERA in 54.2 IP, 57 K, 19 BB. NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE: Former Bishop Kelly pitcher Macy drafted Idaho Statesman Staff Article Former Bishop Kelly High (Idaho) right-hander T.J. Macy was drafted in the 27th round by the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday during the second day of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. "It's a new process for me," Macy said. "I was just glad to get picked up." Macy pitched at Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College this year after graduating from Bishop Kelly in 2005. He posted a record of 5-4 with a 3.04 ERA and struck out 71 in 68 innings in 2006 in Scottsdale. Macy said he plans to return to school next year instead of signing with the Brewers. "Top 10 (rounds), that's when teams want you to go," he said. "Hopefully, I'll go back to school and have a better year."

Round 26: Marc Lewis - LHP 6'0", 205 lbs, L/L - Creighton University (NE) http://www.omaha.com/imglib/mainsite/pub_0/photos/large/120jllewis.jpg NOTES & INFO: Born 10/3/1984 Creighton player profile NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE: Added June 10, 2006 Comeback by Creighton pitcher Lewis rewarded BY STEVEN PIVOVAR OMAHA WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER May 23, 2006 It took just a year for Creighton's Marc Lewis to go from a pitcher with an uncertain future to an all-conference performer. Lewis received some good news Monday shortly before leaving for Wichita, Kan., where he'll start Wednesday's opening game of the Missouri Valley tournament against Wichita State. Lewis and CU third baseman-outfielder Zach Daeges earned slots on the first-team all-conference squad, while CU outfielder Chase Odenreider was a second-team pick. Catcher Chris Gradoville and pitcher Adam Schaecher earned honorable mention. Lewis' selection came a year and three days after he underwent reconstructive surgery on his pitching elbow to repair a torn ligament. He made it back in time to pitch in Creighton's first series of the season, and the left-hander went on to post a 7-0 record and a 2.36 ERA, third-best in the league. "It's really hard to think it was a year ago," said Lewis, a frustrated spectator at Creighton's runner-up finishes at the Valley tournament and the NCAA Lincoln regional last season. "It's been an interesting year as far as rehab and coming back. I feel very blessed that I've been given this opportunity." No one gave Lewis anything, Creighton coach Ed Servais said. The junior left-hander earned it through hard work and an uncompromising belief that he could contribute this season. In a meeting with Lewis last June, Servais raised the possibility that the pitcher might want to consider redshirting in 2006. Lewis refused to consider that an option, although he knew it sometimes took pitchers up to 18 months to fully recover from the surgery named after former major league pitcher Tommy John. "If you would have told me last June that he'd be an all-conference pitcher and he'd be starting our first game of the conference tournament, I would have said absolutely not," Servais said. "I thought it would have been a nice deal if he could be able to work out of the bullpen, pitching an inning every other game. "He's proved us all wrong, and I'm really proud of what he's done. He deserves this." Lewis spent the first seven weeks of the season working under a strict pitch count. That left him ineligible to get credit for wins because he could not pitch the necessary five innings. But since beating Wichita State in the second week of conference play, Lewis has pitched 43 innings and allowed just six earned runs (1.26 ERA). He is 6-0 in his past seven starts and has allowed just two earned runs in his past 271/3 innings. Since Wichita State might have five or six left-handed hitters in its lineup, Lewis is starting Wednesday's 7 p.m. game at Eck Stadium. Lewis shut out the Shockers for five innings in an April 1 victory in Omaha. "Marc's pitched very well the last three or four times out, and I just like the matchup better against all their left-handed hitters," Servais said. "Last time we faced them they were vulnerable to left-handed pitching." Schaecher, 5-2 with a 2.67 ERA as Creighton's seasonlong No. 1 starter, will pitch in Creighton's second game Thursday. Lewis said getting bumped ahead of Schaecher should not create any problems, even though he'll pitch on two days fewer rest. ***Added June 10, 2006 Bluejay Lewis Drafted BY BRIAN NORTON OMAHA WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER A trio of Creighton Bluejays joined teammate Zach Daeges as selections during the second day of the major league baseball draft Wednesday. Milwaukee picked junior left-hander Marc Lewis in the 26th round. Adam Schaecher, a senior pitcher from Omaha Bryan, was selected by Texas in the 31st round, and Chase Odenreider, a senior outfielder from Millard North, went to the New York Yankees in the 49th round. Lewis, from Plainfield, Ill., returned this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2005. He was 7-0 with a 2.81 ERA and earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors. "My coaches kept telling me to get after it (following the surgery). I had a lot of positive things coming from the seniors, my teammates, roommates, my family, everyone," Lewis said. "They told me to keep on pushing to my goals this season. Obviously it was enough to impress at least one team today." If Lewis opts to leave Creighton, his presence on the mound will be missed: The Bluejays won in his final 13 starts of the year. But he is undecided about his future. "It was very exciting. It was one of those things you dream about as a kid, and I couldn't be happier," he said. "I'm going to meet with the scout that drafted me tomorrow morning and talk things over . . . I talked to Coach (Ed) Servais about it today. "I've got a lot of things to weigh. We've got a good team coming in next year. It's going to be a tough decision."

SIGNED Round 25: Mike Goetz - CF 5'11", 190 lbs, L/R - UW-Milwaukee (WI) http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/wiml/sports/m-basebl/auto_headshot/379359.jpeg NOTES & INFO: Born 7/22/1984 UWM player profile NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE: Goetz named Louisville Slugger All-American Goetz Named Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I All-American Earns second team honors after prolific 2006 campaign June 2, 2006 MILWAUKEE - Senior Mike Goetz of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has been selected as a member of the Louisville Slugger NCAA Division I All-American baseball teams, announced today by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Goetz was named to the Second Team at his outfielder position, becoming the first-ever All-American in the history of the Milwaukee baseball program. The three teams were chosen by performances up to regional playoffs and picked by the staff of Collegiate Baseball newspaper. "Nobody was more deserving of this type of recognition than Mike was this year," UWM assistant head coach Scott Doffek said. "This caps just a tremendous career here at Milwaukee for Mike. The coaching staff and athletic department are very proud of him and what he accomplished this season." The award caps arguably the greatest season in the history of UWM baseball. Goetz was named Horizon League Player of the Year as well as a member of the All-League First Team. He reached base safely in all 57 games (32-25 win-loss record) during the season, recording hits in all but two games. He put together hitting streaks of 32 and 27 games, concluding the season with a school-record .493 batting average, which currently leads the nation by 29 points. In addition to the nation's best average, he also tops the country with his .579 on-base percentage and 111 hits. He finished the year with UWM season records in batting average, on-base percentage, hits, doubles (23), triples (6-tie), total bases (155) and walks (41-tie). He nearly added the runs scored standard as well, scoring 67 times on the season to miss the mark of 68 by just one.

SIGNED Round 24: Travis Wendte - RHP 6'2", 195 lbs, R/R - University of Missouri http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/miss/sports/genrel/auto_headshot/405554.jpeg NOTES & INFO: Born 11/17/1982 Missouri player profile NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

Round 23: Scott Shuman - RHP 6'3", 205 lbs, R/R - Tift County HS (GA) NOTES & INFO: Born 3/28/1988 NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE: Added June 10, 2006 Former Devil Shuman drafted by Brewers Former Devil Shuman drafted by Brewers By Dusty Vassey TIFTON ? Former Tift County Blue Devil Scott Shuman was drafted Wednesday by the Milwaukee Brewers in Major League Baseball?s First-Year Player Draft. Shuman, the ace pitcher for a Devil squad that earned a spot in the Sweet 16 of the Class-AAAAA state playoffs, was drafted in the 23rd round by the Brewers. During the regular season, he was 8-2 with three saves, a 1.72 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 65 innings. He also batted .318 with seven homers and 29 RBIs. ?It?s a good honor,? Shuman said Thursday. ?They called me yesterday about an hour after they (drafted him). It was pretty cool.? He was drafted by the Brewers based on his strong pitching arm. Shuman throws a fastball that has been clocked at 94 miles per hour. He also throws a slider, a sidearm fastball and a changeup. ?I thank God for this happening and everything that?s happened,? Shuman said. ?He?s the reason all this happened.? The recent graduate has not decided if he will sign with the Brewers but knows that he will continue his baseball career. He will visit Auburn University Monday and is considering an athletic scholarship with the school. ?If they offer me a scholarship, I?ll be an Auburn Tiger,? he said. He is also considering signing with junior colleges in Santa Fe, N.M. and Pensacola, Fla. He said that according to the Brewers, he can still attend junior college and they will own the rights to him. He said that hopefully, he can go even higher in a future draft. Shuman also went higher in this year?s draft. The Los Angeles Angels were interested in the pitcher and wanted to draft him in the ninth round. However, they wanted him to sign immediately while the Brewers seemed to encourage him to attend junior college. Shuman elected to keep his options open instead of taking the money. A two-sport star, Shuman started at quarterback for the Blue Devil football team which also made the playoffs. However, he said that his dream is to play baseball in the majors, and even if he attends a college like Auburn, he will concentrate on baseball. ?I?m strictly baseball now,? he said. ?I?m not 6-5 and I don?t throw (a football) 75 yards.?

SIGNED Round 22: J.T. King - RHP 6'2", 210 lbs, R/R - Northeastern Oklahoma A&M http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/king1.jpg NOTES & INFO: Born 1/25/1985 Northeastern OK A&M player profile NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

Round 20: Mehdi Djebbar - LHP 6'1", 182 lbs, L/L - Ahuntsic College (Montreal, Quebec) NOTES & INFO: Born 4/27/1988 NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

SIGNED Round 21: Jesse Damico - C 6'2", 210 lbs, L/R - Mohawk HS (PA) http://www.ncnewsonline.com/sports/images_sizedimage_159053333/xl NOTES & INFO: Born 1/26/1988 NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE: June 9, 2006 Mohawk?s Jesse D?Amico selected by, signs with, Brewers By Ron Poniewasz Jr. New Castle News Mohawk High?s Jesse D?Amico had an unforgettable day yesterday. Not only did D?Amico graduate with his class, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers as well. D?Amico, a catcher, was selected by Milwaukee in the 21st round of the amateur draft, the 632nd overall choice. He was the third catcher taken by the Brewers behind Andrew Bouchie (seventh round, 212th pick) and Greg Whiteside (15th round, 452nd pick). Not only was D?Amico drafted yesterday, he signed his first professional contract as well late last night and will leave Monday for Arizona for extended spring training. D?Amico will then most likely begin his professional career with the Arizona Brewers at the rookie ball level. ?This is the biggest day of my life,? D?Amico said. ?With graduating and signing a Major League contract on the same day, I?ve been speechless all day.? Getting drafted didn?t come as a complete surprise to the talented D?Amico. ?I had a pretty good idea but I wasn?t too sure about it,? D?Amico said. ?Toward the end of the season, the Brewers kept coming and watching and I got the call this morning.? When the moment arrived it was one that D?Amico won?t soon forget. ?I was in shock,? he said. ?I sat down and turned my computer on. The Brewers drafted me and my name popped up and my jaw dropped.? Three different scouts attended Warriors baseball games this year and were impressed with what they saw. A scout was at Mohawk?s upset win over top-ranked Riverside and the WPIAL Class AA playoff game against Freedom. D?Amico excelled in each game, homering once in both games including earning the pitching win against the Panthers. ?I knew they were there,? D?Amico said of the scouts. ?I just wanted to stay within myself and do what I can do but just try not to press too hard.? D?Amico signed a national letter of intent in November with the University of Cincinnati. However, there was no doubt in D?Amico?s mind which direction he would go. ?I wanted to sign with the Brewers, it?s a big opportunity for me and I can?t pass it up,? D?Amico said. ?I?ve always wanted to play in the majors since I was a little kid and I can?t pass this up.? If D?Amico had elected to pass on the Brewers? offer and attend Cincinnati, he would have not been eligible to be drafted until after his junior year of college. ?I was aware of that and it was a thing I had to think about,? D?Amico said. ?I couldn?t go to college and bank on getting drafted again.? College is still an option for D?Amico. If for some reason professional baseball doesn?t work out for D?Amico, he can go back and get eight semesters of schooling courtesy of the Brewers with no specific time limit for the stipulations. D?Amico batted a county-best .600 this year with six home runs and 25 RBIs after excelling on the gridiron for Mohawk in the fall. ?Jesse is a top-notch baseball player,? Mohawk coach Archie Donofrio said. ?As much as he?s a great player, he?s a great person too. ?He knows the game and he?s a tremendous leader. I think those attributes helped him get drafted.? Donofrio put the game in D?Amico?s hands, allowing D?Amico to call the pitches. ?He is great with fundamentals,? Donofrio said. ?He understands the game and we?re going to miss him. ?He worked tremendously with the pitchers and I had a lot of respect for him.? Jesse D?Amico got to learn significant pointers from his older brother, Travis. Travis, also a catcher, went to West Virginia University on a full scholarship but missed out on a professional career after tearing his rotator cuff in his senior year. According to Jesse, Travis? baseball career is over and he?s working as an engineer in Washington, D.C., for Boller Engineering. ?Travis had a big influence on me,? Jesse said. ?He went through the same thing. His experience (rotator cuff) is what influenced me and I saw I could get hurt in college. ?He?s really been a big help to me and I?ve got tons of information and tips from him.?

Round 19: Lee Haydel - OF 6'1", 170 lbs, L/R - Riverside Academy (LA) http://www.tribune-democrat.com/sports/images_sizedimage_219170226/xl NOTES & INFO: - Birthdate 07/15/1987 - Attended Riverside Academy in Reserve, Louisiana, about 40 miles north of New Orleans. Riverside is a private, K-12 school - Has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he received a $50,000 TOPS Opportunity Award scholarship. - Starred as a wide receiver and defensive back for the Rebels' football team and excelled as a member of the school's track squad. - Was named to the 2006 Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-State Baseball Team and the 2006 All-Metro Team. - Helped Riverside win the Class 2A State Championship for the first time since 1995. NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE: PG Crosschecker draft notes

Hughes off the board to the PIrates in round 4.

Hughes I'm sure is still on the board because he didn't strike many batters out this season and had some rough outings (although most of those rough outings were marred by poor defense behind him). I still contend that he is going to be a solid pro since he pitches to contact and induces a bunch of groundballs. And he throws 94, which seems to get overlooked.