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Cougars Continue Draft Success
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Cougars Continue Draft SuccessChris Baker AZUSA, Calif.-- Azusa Pacific continues to be one of the NAIA’s top breeding grounds for professional baseball players, as evidenced by two more Cougars being selected in the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Jordan Leyland, the Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year, was the first Azusa Pacific player plucked, going to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth round (295th overall). He was followed by all-GSAC closer Alan Garcia, who was picked by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 22nd round (686th overall). The two selections bumped the program’s all-time draft total to 34, including 11 since head coach Paul Svagdis took over in 2002. The two picks also marked the first time that the Dodgers and the Blue Jays chose an Azusa Pacific player in the draft. “We’re certainly really happy for Jordan and Alan. They’re both great guys and were great to coach. We feel like they’re going to do great things in professional baseball. We’re excited for them,” said Svagdis. “The best part about seeing these guys have an opportunity to play at the next level is that most college athletes have the dream to play professionally, and over the last six years we’ve had a lot of guys have that dream realized.” Leyland, who became the highest drafted Cougar since Kirk Nieuwenhuis was taken by the New York Mets in the third round back in 2008, was a dominating power-hitter for one of the nation’s top offenses. The first baseman belted a team-leading 22 home runs and recorded a conference-best 74 RBIs. His .802 slugging percentage was the NAIA’s second best mark, while his .419 batting average was the second highest in the GSAC. His 10-game RBI streak from February 25th to March 9th, in which he drove in 29 runs, helped Azusa Pacific to an early GSAC edge after the Cougars went 5-1 against early conference favorites Biola and Fresno Pacific. “He really developed as a power guy and I think that was real exciting to watch happen for him. Everyone probably thought he had it in him, but it was nice to see him exhibit it out on the field,” said Svagdis. Leyland also flashed a strong glove, finishing the year with just three errors in 570 chances. His 525 putouts ranked 4th in the NAIA, while the senior maintained a .995 fielding percentage. “He played first base really well and carried himself at a high level defensively to go what he did at the plate. He’s very athletic for a big guy and hopefully that’s something that appealed to the scouts,” said Svagdis. The former UC Irvine Anteater was drafted in the 44th round of the 2011 draft (1,350th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays, but opted to transfer to Azusa Pacific for his senior season; one that saw him jump up over 1,000 spots in the draft. Garcia was one of the NAIA’s top relievers, ranking third in the nation with an Azusa Pacific record 15 saves. The 6-4 closer finished the year with a 3.86 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 25.2 innings of work to earn all-GSAC honors. He posted a 2.45 ERA in save opportunities and held batters to a .100 average with runners on and two outs. Garcia didn’t give up a home run all year long and was dominant against right handed hitters, holding them to a .165 batting average. “For him they had an opportunity to confirm his velocity. It was good to see him pitch in critical conditions and command the strike zone with that velocity. He really improved during the season, from day one until the last game. His off-speed developed and that really helped him,” said Svagdis. “We have a great history of pitchers moving on, and now with Garcia that’s seven pitchers drafted since 2003.” This year’s draft class marked the fourth time since 2007 that two or more Cougars were selected by a Major League organization. In 2010 Ryan Delgado and Peter Gehle were taken by the Chicago White Sox and the Atlanta Braves respectively, while the trio of Andrew Shive, Jonny Bravo, and Nieuwenhuis was taken in the 2008 draft. One year earlier Stephen Vogt was taken in the 12th round by the Tampa Bay Rays, while Scott Hodson was nabbed by the Oakland Athletics in the sixth round. “I think our program presents a unique opportunity for young student-athletes to come into an environment where they know in the classroom they’re going to be surrounded and supported academically because of the nature of our class size, yet they have an opportunity athletically to play at the next level. And we’ve seen that over the years,” said Svagdis. This year two Azusa Pacific alums have reached the big leagues, with Vogt earning a spot on the Rays' opening day roster, while Nieuwenhuis continues to post a strong rookie campaign, batting .294 through 55 games. Daytona Beach News Journal 6 Stetson players picked on final day of MLB draft By Brian Linder, Staff writer It was a banner day for Dunn's Stetson baseball program, as six Hatters were among the nine players from area colleges selected on the final day of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft. Seniors Robbie Powell, Lindsey Caughel, Ben Carhart and Jake Boyd and juniors Sam Kimmel and Kurt Schluter were picked Wednesday, joining senior reliever Tucker Donahue, who was picked in the fourth round Tuesday by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Stetson coach was happy about that, but there were a few things bothering him. "With one exception, I'm extremely happy for our seniors," Dunn said. "But, Mark Jones not getting drafted ... I'm concerned about it." Jones, a Flagler Palm Coast High product, hit .306 with five home runs and 36 RBIs for Stetson this year but struggled early in the season when most scouts, according to Dunn, were making their rounds at Hatters games. "This 40-round (draft) is going to take its toll on a lot of young men like Mark Jones," Dunn said. "Going from 50 to 40 (rounds, a change made in the collective bargaining agreement signed last November), I think, was a big factor in Mark not getting drafted. I felt he had the ability to be a low pick and get a chance to play pro ball." Dunn also was concerned the Hatters may lose out on signee Alfredo Escalera, who was selected in the eighth round Tuesday by the Kansas City Royals. "That is a loss because he is an awfully good player," Dunn said. "I'm more disappointed there because I think the kid has a high ceiling, but I don't know that he is ready to go play pro ball at 18. We are hearing reports that he has already signed and made the decision." Rustin C. Todd of the Kansas City Star and AM 580 WIBW in Kansas City reported Wednesday that Escalera has signed with the Royals. Dunn also expects to lose Kimmel, who went in the 18th round to Baltimore. "I think Kimmel will probably sign," Dunn said. "He and I had a talk the other day. He feels like he is getting up there in age. He is 23 and that is fairly old for a junior. I would think he is going to sign, but I hope he doesn't. I would love to have him back." Dunn said Schluter, picked in the 39th round by Boston, is likely to return to Stetson. Dunn was unsure of the plans of two signees who were taken Wednesday -- Carlos Garmendia (Milwaukee, 19th round) and Kevin Fagan (San Francisco, 39th round). "I will get on the phone with (Garmendia and Fagan on Wednesday)," he said. "But, I feel pretty confident." Caughel went to the Dodgers (23rd round), Powell (32nd round) and Boyd (38th round) to the Angels and Carhart to the Cubs (35th round). One player from Bethune-Cookman and two from Embry-Riddle were also picked on Day 3. Stetson's Kimmel was the first area player off the board Wednesday, with Bethune-Cookman senior right-hander Rayan Gonzalez next up, going to the Colorado Rockies in the 21st round. "I looked down, saw a strange number and said, 'Oh, here we go!' " Gonzalez said.
Hoenecke, who capped his collegiate career with First-Team All-Horizon League Utility honors this past spring, becomes the third Panther to be selected in the 2012 MLB Draft when he was taken with the 746th pick overall. It also marks the second time he has been drafted, as he was also selected by the Detroit Tigers out of high school before coming to play at Milwaukee. "It feels pretty good," Hoenecke said. "It was a lot of hard work that went into it and it's rewarding to get this after four years of being involved with the Milwaukee baseball program. It feels really good and I owe a lot of thanks to (UWM coaches) Scott (Doffek), Cory (Bigler) and Mike (Goetz) and everyone who has helped me along the way - it wouldn't have happened without them." On the field, he became just the eighth player to record over 200 hits in a UWM career and finished fifth all-time with 242. In addition to that mark, he set the program record with 803 career at bats and ended up second in games played with 211, second in doubles with 63, sixth in runs with 135, sixth in RBI with 133 and fifth in total bases with 349. "Paul has been through a lot in his career here," UWM head coach Scott Doffek said. "He got drafted by the Tigers out of high school and he believed in UWM and decided to come here. He spent four years here and worked really hard. It wasn't always easy for him, but he was a great teammate and an excellent student and now he is going to get that opportunity he's worked so hard for. I couldn't be happier for anyone." Hoenecke was a student-athlete who excelled both on the field and in the classroom. For his work in the classroom, he earned a pair of Horizon Academic All-League honors and was selected as a member of the Capital One Academic All-District Baseball Team as a junior. "The four years never go how you expect them to," Hoenecke said. "There are bumps along the way and that makes it even better at the end." In 211 career games, he recorded a .301 average and was named First-Team All-Horizon League as a sophomore and to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team as a freshman. He has also been named league player of the week on three occasions over his career, showing off his versatility by appearing in games at first base, second base, third base, designated hitter, and catcher. "Having three of our players get drafted is exciting and a great shot for our program and the league," Doffek said. "But, we're just really happy for those guys individually. Now we have to get out on the recruiting trail and find some more players that will have to fill some big shoes." TEXASTECH.COM Daniel Coulombe Drafted in 25th Round by Los Angeles Dodgers Staff LUBBOCK, Texas - For the first time in school history seven Texas Tech players have been selected in the top-25 rounds of the Major League Baseball First-Year Players Draft while redshirt-junior left-handed pitcher Daniel Coulombe (Scottsdale, Ariz.) is the most recent as he was drafted in the 25th round (776 overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers. It marks the second time Coulombe has been drafted by the Dodgers while also being selected by the Dodgers in 2008 following his senior year in high school in the 17th round. Coulombe was among the top relievers for the Red Raiders this season compiling a 1-0 record, 2.53 ERA in 10 appearances with two starts. He tallied 21.1 innings pitched allowing 22 hits and six earned runs with 26 strikeouts and just nine walks. In a relief role, Coulombe posted a 1.64 ERA in eight appearances with 11 innings pitched with 13 strikeouts and five walks allowed. Coulombe started the season as one of the Red Raiders starting pitchers and registered back-to-back five-inning starts while striking out at least five batters in both contests. He struck out a season-high eight batters in his second start of the season - his first career win - against Northern Illinois on Feb. 25. During his two-year Texas Tech career, Coulombe went 1-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 14 appearances and six starts with 41.2 innings pitched, 54 strikeouts and 16 walks allowed. ORLANDO SENTINEL Devon Travis, Justin Gonzalez form solid pair up FSU’s middle Cole Harvey You may have seen this story on the Orlando Sentinel’s Seminoles page last night about Florida State second baseman Devon Travis and his double play-turning skills, which paid big dividends in the Seminoles’ 5-2 Regional-clinching win over Samford on Sunday. If you haven’t seen it, do feel free to check it out. To piggyback on the double play theme, we wanted to add this following entry to the Chopping Block about the Seminoles’ sometimes overlooked tandem up the middle. While Travis could play a key role defensively for FSU in this weekend’s Super Regional against Stanford, his middle infield partner in crime, Justin Gonzalez, could have a say, as well. Earlier this week, both players were taken by teams in the major league baseball first-year player draft. Travis, FSU’s quick-footed, rapid-throwing second baseman went first, taken in the 14th round by the Detroit Tigers. Claimed by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Gonzalez, the Seminoles’ gritty, gutty shortstop, went in the 27th round. Along with them, two other members of FSU’s infield — first baseman Jayce Boyd and third baseman Sherman Johnson — were drafted in the sixth and 14th rounds, respectively. “A lot of hard work these past three years,” Gonzalez said. “For all of us to realize our dream is pretty special, man. It says a lot about the program where we’re at, and it’s exciting. I couldn’t be happier for everybody taken in the draft.” Gonzalez learned he was drafted Wednesday afternoon while dining at Tijuana Flats with his little brother and Johnson and Travis. “You just feel like a kid on Christmas,” Gonzalez said. The joy and excitement was still evident in his voice later in the day when he spoke with reporters just before the Seminoles’ second-to-last practice before this weekend’s Super Regional. Transitioning the conversation away from the draft and to his actual game play, Gonzalez gave insight into something else that provides daily happiness for him. “When I’m turning double plays with Devon, that’s the most fun part of my day,” he said. In total, the Seminoles have turned 56 double plays this season. Travis, in some form or fashion, has been part of 33 of them. Gonzalez has had a hand in 27. With respect to this weekend’s best-of-three Super Regional series at Dick Howser Stadium between No. 3 national seed FSU (46-15) and Stanford (41-16), offense and pitching likely will receive more attention than defense. Four members of Stanford’s probable starting lineup are hitting better than .300 and three are knocking on the door of double-digit home runs. Seven Cardinal players were drafted this week, including three who might pitch this weekend. Each of those pitchers were claimed in the first three rounds. For the Seminoles, four members of the probable starting lineup are boasting better than .400 on-base percentages. As a team, the Seminoles have scored more than 150 runs more than their opponents this season. With respect to its pitching, FSU is anchored by a pair of freshmen who boast an 18-4 record between them, and who have ERAs under 2.70. So yes, offense and pitching should be the first things that jump off the page about this matchup. But defense, particularly the style played by Travis and Gonzalez, can’t go overlooked. “I don’t think there’s anything more important than being strong up the middle, and playing with a guy like Justin, a guy I know inside and out, it definitely is going to help us out a ton,” Travis said. Both juniors, Travis and Gonzalez have had a rapport that began before they even stepped foot on campus together. While still seniors in high school, both South Florida natives went to an FSU-Miami game played in Coral Gables. They had both already signed with the Seminoles and were introduced for the first time by FSU coaches who told them to get comfortable together. They were going to be playing a lot next to one another. With the MLB Draft process in play for both of them at the time, there may have been some initial skepticism among them about it working out. But once it became clear they were indeed coming to FSU, an on- and off-field relationship began to thrive. “It was just little things like that helped out so much. Just like a little chat on Facebook,” Travis said of their summertime discussions about becoming college roommates. “‘Oh, I’m going to get a refrigerator.’ ‘OK, cool. I’m going to get a vacuum.’ Little things like that can help, especially when you don’t know anybody. If you’re not familiar with the area. From Day 1, it’s something where we worked well together.” But nothing brought them closer than the ping-pong table. “Ever since he got that ping pong table, our relationship just took off,” Travis said. “I didn’t think I was very bad, I thought I was pretty good,” Gonzalez said about bringing the table to school. “So I said, ‘Well, alright, man. You better get ready because I’m going to work you.’ “It turns out, when I got the table and moved in with him and Steven McGee, I ended up being the worst one in the house. I didn’t end up winning a game for like the first two months that we were living there. So everyday after study hall, freshman year, I’d start practicing, practicing, practicing. And eventually I started smoking him.” According to Travis, one day, they just stopped playing. Gonzalez joked that the shifting balance of wins and losses had something to do with that. As one would imagine with most shortstop-second basemen tandems, that competitive spirit spilled onto the field. “We’re both very competitive people,” Gonzalez said. “We push each other to get better each and every day. When we take ground balls, it’s almost like, ‘Hey, how many did you miss today?’ ‘Oh, I didn’t miss any. How many did you miss?’ ‘I missed one.’ Well, I go, ‘I beat you.’ It’s always that friendly competitive nature just to get better. I want to see him succeed as much as I want to succeed.” UH COUGARS.COM Three Cougars Taken in MLB First-Year Player Draft Staff HOUSTON--Three University of Houston baseball players were recognized for their strong collegiate careers as they were taken on the final day of the 2012 MLB First Year Player Draft. Right-handed pitcher Mo Wiley was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 28th Round (862 overall), catcher John Cannon was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 29th Round (896 overall) and right-handed pitcher Jared Ray was taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 34th Round (1053 overall). Wiley, Cannon, and Ray concluded their four-year collegiate careers as Cougars this season, earning four letters for Houston. The three join a historically sound list of former Cougars who were taken in previous years' drafts. Wiley, Cannon, and Ray became the 125th, 126th, 127th players drafted in the program's history, which includes greats like Doug Drabek, Woody Williams, Michael Bourn, Brad Lincoln, Jesse Crain, Chris Snyder, Scott Sheldon, and Garrett Mock, among many. All three played their final two seasons under second-year head coach Todd Whitting. Since Whitting took over the helm of the Cougars, Houston has seen four players drafted, including Caleb Ramsey in 2011. In his career, Whitting has coached more than 65 players that were drafted by Major League organizations. John Cannon Cannon was taken in the 29th Round at No. 896 by the LA Dodgers. Cannon's thoughts: "It's a great feeling to have been drafted. It's something I've been dreaming of since I was about four years old. To have the opportunity to play for a great organization like the LA Dodgers is an honor and I'm excited to start the next chapter of my life." THE CANNON FILE: A native of Hutto, Texas, Cannon was a four-year letterwinner and graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Sports Administration and a minor in Nutrition this May. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Cannon played in 151 games with 132 starts as catcher. He produced his best season yet, hitting .302 for Houston. In his career, he hit .269 with 119 hits, 61 runs, 55 RBI, 18 doubles, and 4 homeruns. He notched a career-high four hits twice, last coming at Texas Tech this year, while driving in a career-best four RBI at UAB. OFF THE FIELD Cannon was a three-time Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient, named to the All-Silver Glove Series vs. Rice twice, and to the Houston College Classic All-Tournament Team in 2011. SENIOR SEASON Wrapped up a solid career with his best season yet...Started 51 games and appeared in 53 all as the Cougar catcher...Notched a .302 batting average...Tallied 54 hits, 21 runs scored for third-best on the team, and drove in 19 RBI...Had 12 multi-hit games...Led the team with 295 putouts and 65 assists...Picked off six base runners...Tallied a career-high four hits at Texas Tech (April 15)...Drove in a career-best four RBI at UAB (April 28) on a double and single...Tallied three RBI on three hits in a win over Tennessee at the Houston College Classic (March 2)...Rode a nine-game hit streak (April 7-21)...Had three consecutive games with at least 2+ hits during the Texas Tech series...Was 2-for-2 with two sacrifice bunts vs. Rice (May 6)...Led the team with nine sacrifice bunts...Hit .316 in C-USA play...Was 2-for-6 with an RBI on a solo homerun in a win over Tulane (May 11)...Had four hits in series vs. Rice (May 4-6)...Named to the All-Silver NOLA.COM Tulane's Jeremy Schaffer picked by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 18th round By Tammy Nunez Also, Grace King’s Trent Giambrone, 18, was drafted in the 30th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers at shortstop (926th overall pick). Giambrone led the metro area with a .565 batting average and made The Times-Picayune All-Metro team and the Class 5A All-State squad at outfielder. “I was getting calls from scouts; they predicted me to go today. … They just told me be prepared for today and your name could get called,” Giambrone said. Giambrone said he is headed to Jones Community College in Mississippi if he doesn’t agree to terms with the Dodgers. “I’m sure I’ll sit down with my family,” Giambrone said. “Everybody’s really excited right now, but we’re just going to sit down and really talk it out and see how much they have to offer, and then will make a decision after that.” Giambrone also played center field for Grace King out of necessity, Coach Bobby Ledoux said. “He’s an all-around utility player,” Ledoux said. “He is a five-tool player. He’s very talented. I’ve been head coach at Grace King for 25 years, and he’s the hardest working kid I’ve ever coached.” ARIZONASPORTS.COM AZ players picked in MLB Draft Staff Arizona has long been a hotbed of talent that stocks the organizational rosters in Major League Baseball, and that trend did not stop during the 2012 MLB First Year Player Draft. Below is a list of players with Arizona ties who were picked by big league teams: Directory: documents documents -> Concept stage documents -> Concept stage documents -> The great global switch-off documents -> Nonprofit grant application documents -> The Truth about the Rwandan Genocide documents -> Annual InStructional unit plan documents -> Chaos equipment included Download 299.7 Kb. Share with your friends:
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