Pair of former Osprey to California-Carolina All-Star Game

A pair of former Osprey will be playing against each other on June 21 in the California-Carolina League All-Star Game, to take place in Modesto, Calif. Both have been named starters in the game.

Former Osprey outfielder Adam Eaton (2010) is one of two Visalia Rawhide players (pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who will start for the Cal League, is the other) to earn a spot on the squad.

Another former Osprey will be playing for the visiting Carolina League All-Stars. Former Osprey shortstop Rey Navarro (2007) has shortened his name – he used to go by Reynaldo – and changed positions, from shortstop to second base. Now in the Kansas City Royals’ organization, Navarro will represent the Wilmington Blue Rocks in the mid-summer classic.

More details will be released in a story later on MissoulaOsprey.com.

Draft wrap, Stars aplenty and other things …

Oh, yeah … gotta love the MLB Draft. Rapid-fire style picks come down the pike, then the signing process begins, then mini-camp, then teams get formed and players begin their journeys in professional baseball. Oh, the life … and there will be players in Missoula in a few days. Get ready!

Some leftover tidbits from the MLB Draft:
– Feature story on the Compensation A Round pick from Monday night’s activities for the D-backs, Andrew Chafin. The arm worries should, at least for now, probably be put to rest.

– And more videos … first, high-school pitcher Archie Bradley, whom the D-backs picked seventh last night:

– And, of course, No. 3 pick Trevor Bauer:

– There are times where you get to see something cool happen during the draft as well … and one of those things happened twice on Day 3 of the draft. An insider note: There was actually a reprimand that came down from the draft folk with MLB during the 37th round. That is apparently when Texas, during the conference call, was talking about taking Jonathan Taylor (story behind it in first link). Both teams made a classy move with picks that are not guaranteed, but in a position where it’s a hit-and-miss prospect whether or not a player will actually sign.

– More than just Ben Roberts were drafted from the state of Montana … a total of four players with Montana ties were selected in the 2011 MLB Draft:
*Catcher Cameron Edman of Florence, who just finished his career at Gonzaga, was drafted in the 29th round by the Baltimore Orioles.
*Joe Pistorese of Kalispell, a left-handed pitcher, was chosen in the 46th round by the Chicago White Sox.
*The other is Sidney native Cole Frenzel, who went to school in Dickinson, ND, and was drafted in the 7th round as well, by the New York Mets. Frenzel just completed his redshirt sophomore season as a first baseman with the University of Arizona.

– Speaking of Roberts, he and his father appeared on Curley’s Coaches on Wednesday, which is now airing on our broadcast home, AM 930, KMPT. So you can catch up on Missoula-area sports, then take a short break, and then join us for Osprey baseball during the season. (Yes, shameless self-promotion.) Matt Ellis, Osprey Executive Vice President, appeared on the show a couple of weeks back, and Osprey radio voice Ben Catley will make an appearance next Wednesday.

Roberts handled the situation about as well as he possibly could. He is signed to head to Washington State to play baseball, but he now has a decision to make.

By the way, if you wonder what the Osprey will be like in 2012, keep an eye on the Arizona League D-backs this summer. Now that there is a feeder team which is a level below the Osprey (outside of the Dominican Summer League), and with the depth of college players taken in this draft, in the words of Jim Ross … “Business is about to pick up around here, boys!”

– So, how did the D-backs do in the draft? Most scouts apparently think they did extremely well.

Now let the signing begin … and, with that, back to the usual blog entries.

– Gotta love the blogging prowess of one Tony Barnette (2006), who is pitching in Japan, and doing quite well. Obviously, though, he’s not a fan of fashion statements.

– Goldy Watch: The 2009 8th round pick by Arizona hit his 20th home run on Wednesday, tied for the most in professional baseball with Toronto’s Juan Bautista. Goldy was also selected to play in the Southern League All-Star Game, along with former Osprey Taylor Harbin and Ollie Linton. Look for a story soon on MissoulaOsprey.com.

– Resuming tomorrow – some semblance of normalcy. Meaning that we will actually get back to the usual fare in the blog. Just know that as things happen, we will announce them both on here and the website, http://www.MissoulaOsprey.com.

Day 3, Part 2 – D-backs picks

Here is the last of the list – Arizona Diamondbacks draft picks in Rounds 41-50 in the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft:

Round 41 – Michael Cederoth, RHP, Steele Canyon HS, CA
Round 42 – Tyler Bream, 3B, Liberty
Round 43 – Alex Capoul, RHP, Hawai’i
Round 44 – Derek Luciano, 3B, Central Florida
Round 45 – James Lane, CF, Coral Shores HS, FL
Round 46 – Joseph Loftus, OF, Vanderbilt
Round 47 – Tucker Ward, RHP, UMS Wright Prep, AL
Round 48 – Raymond  Hernandez, RHP, Cal State-Fullerton
Round 49 – Jacob Williams, 1B, South Mountain CC
Round 50 – David Masters, SS, Timberland HS, MO

 

Day 3 list, part 1

Here are the Day 3 picks for the Arizona Diamondbacks, through Round 40. The final 10 rounds are underway, and we’ll have more info on the players as soon as possible:

Round 31 – Matt Jensen, 2B, Cal-Poly SLO/Clovis, CA
Round 32 – Alex Vetter, RHP, Feather River College, NV
Round 33 – Anthony Banda, LHP, Sindor HS, TX
Round 34 – Zachary Jones, C, Stanford
Round 35 – Ross Gerdeman, RHP, Bowling Green
Round 36 – Brian Henry, C, Keystone College (PA)/NJ
Round 37 – Elroy Urbina, LHP, Incarnate Word (TX)
Round 38 – Freeman Jenkins, OF, San Jose State
Round 39 – Chris Ellison, OF, Oklahoma
Round 40 – Seth Simmons, RHP, East Carolina

Rounds 21-30 for the D-backs …

Here’s your Rounds 21-30 look at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ picks in the 2011 MLB Draft:

Round 21 – Jon Griffin, 1B, Central Florida/Bradenton, FL

Drafted for the third time, previously went in the 41st round in 2007 by Minnesota and the 45th round by Boston in 2008 … Hit .343 with 19 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs and 58 RBIs, and posted a 1.055 OPS … Hit 37 home runs for Manatee CC (now known as State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota) … Was a 2009 Suncoast All-Conference First-Team pick, hitting .340 with 22 homers and 74 RBIs … Earned all-area honors while at Lakewood Ranch HS.

Round 22 – Garrett Weber, SS, Fresno State/Clovis, CA

Hit .274 with five home runs and 33 RBIs for the Bulldogs this past spring, while earning First-Team All-WAC honors … hit a career-high .387 with 38 RBIs in 2010 … Named First-Team All-American in both seasons while at Fresno City College … Drafted in the 35th round by the Kansas City Royals in the 2007 MLB Draft.

Round 23 – Ryan Court, 3B, Illinois State/Sleepy Hollow, IL

A .309 career hitter, batted .323 with six home runs and 35 RBIs for the Redbirds, and finished his collegiate career with 21 home runs, 126 RBIs and 10 stolen bases … Led the team in homers in his junior season (10) … Earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors the past two seasons (1st team in 2011, 2nd team in 2010), and was an Honorable Mention pick in 2009 … Is a Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Candidate … Hit .406 while starting all 34 games played at Dundee-Crown HS during his senior season, helping his squad win the Fox Valley Conference title and earning First-Team All-Conference honors … His father played football at Illinois State.

Round 24 – Matt Ogden, RHP, Smoky Hill HS, CO

Struck out 81 batters in 58 innings for Smoky Hill in 2011, while posting a 6-2 record with a 4.34 ERA, four complete games and a shutout … Also batted .510 with six home runs and 18 RBIs … Has signed a letter of intent to play at Michigan.

Round 25 – Brett Williams, OF, NC State/New Bern, NC

Hit .286 with 12 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 45 RBIs for the Wolfpack this past spring … Also stole nine bases and committed just three errors in 156 chances (.981 fielding pct.) … Helped Pitt Community College to the 2010 NJCAA World Series, earning first-team All-Region X honors in the process … Posted a .348 batting average with 11 doubles, 11 home runs and 45 RBIs, plus added 10 steals … As a freshman, was even more of a force, hitting .429 with 14 doubles, 14 home runs, 43 RBIs and 12 steals.

Round 26 – Austin Platt, RHP, Bradenton, FL

Participated in the IMG Baseball Academy, which has produced Major League players Bobby Bonilla and Manny Ramirez, who in turn have sent their sons to the academy … Played at Braden River High School, posting a 4-0 mark with one save in his senior season, before participating in the IMG Wood Bat League, where he won six games and struck out 47 batters.

Round 27 – Wyatt Strahan, RHP, Villa Park HS, CA

Posted a 6-4 record with a 1.48 ERA for Villa Park, striking out 55 in 66 innings pitched … Allowed opponents to hit at a .207 clip … Struck out 10 in his final start of the season … Also batted .295 with nine doubles, four triples, three home runs and 12 RBIs … Has verbally committed to play at USC.

Round 28 – Matt Sample, RHP, Rogers State/Bentonville, AR

Struck out 31 batters in 23 2/3 innings pitched for the Hillcats … Was 2-0 with four saves and a 4.56 ERA … Started two games, including a win over Oklahoma City in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament … Redshirted in 2010 following Tommy John surgery … Pitched at Crowder College, where he was an All-Region pitcher as a sophomore, and was drafted in the 49th round by Texas following his freshman season.

Round 29 – Carter Bell, 3B, Oregon State/Courtenay, BC

Batted .299 with 11 doubles, a triple, a home run and 22 RBIs in 50 games for the Beavers this past spring … Previously selected in the 22nd round by San Francisco in the 2008 MLB Draft … Played for Team Canada at the 5th World Baseball Championships in Japan last summer, hitting .300 for the tournament with a triple, home run and five RBIs in six games … Two-sport star in high school.

Round 30 – Dexter Price, RHP, South Carolina-Beaufort/Colorado Springs, CO

Transferred to USC-Beaufort from Auburn, and posted a 6-3 mark in 12 games, with a 2.39 ERA … Struck out 51 batters in 79 innings pitched … Was 3-0 in five starts with a 4.39 ERA during his sophomore season at Auburn … played at Air Academy HS, earning two straight First-Team Class 5A All-State honors, and an All-Colorado nods during his senior season, in which he went 10-0 with a 2.90 ERA, striking out 76 batters in 60 1/3 innings pitched, while being named team MVP … Also hit .375 with 10 home runs and 42 RBIs in his senior season … Threw a perfect game in 2007 … Previously drafted in the 43rd round by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2008 MLB Draft.

Day 3 commences at 10 a.m. MT on Wednesday …

D-backs baby back report, picks 16-20

Catching up … here is the lowdown on the Arizona Diamondbacks picks in Rounds 16-20 of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft:

Round 16 – Michael Blake, LHP, Hawai’i/Vancouver, WA

A bit reminiscent of former Osprey pitcher Mike Belfiore in how he was utilized at Hawai’i, mainly as a first baseman and DH by the Warriors, plus made 10 appearances as a pitcher … Hit .241 with 23 RBIs in the field, and posted a 3.38 ERA in eight innings of work … Played at Mount Hood College for two seasons, used mainly at first base, where he hit .387 as a sophomore … A two-time All-League and All-State pick while at Heritage HS in Vancouver … Set single-season school standard with a .583 batting average.

Round 17 – Adam Choplick, LHP, Denton Billy Ryan HS, Denton, TX

Just recently recovered from Tommy John surgery, which put him out of action for his junior season … Pitched a perfect game in his third start … Was 9-1 with a 0.82 ERA as a sophomore … Signed letter of intent to play at Oklahoma.
And your video package …

Round 18 – Taylor Siemens, LHP, California Baptist/La Mirada, CA

Named Golden State Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, helping Cal Baptist win the conference regular-season title … Was a two-time 1st team All-GSAC and Honorable Mention NAIA All-American … Went 9-2 with a 2.93 ERA this past spring, striking out 91 batters in 101 1/3 innings pitched … Posted an 11-2 mark in his sophomore season … Played three seasons of varsity baseball and basketball at La Mirada.

Round 19 – Danny Pulfer, 2B, Oregon/Cypress, CA

Hit .351 in 59 games, with two home runs and 20 RBIs for the Ducks in 2011, and is a career .302 hitter, with 31 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 73 RBIs … Stole 9 bases in 2011, and 19 for his career … committed just six errors this past spring … Was a 2010 Pac-10 Honorable Mention selection … Played in two straight Northwoods League championship games while playing for the Rochester Honkers … Earned All-Empire, All-county and all-CIF recognition as a senior at Cypress HS, hitting .485 with three home runs and 24 stolen bases … Was a team captain all four seasons (at two different schools).

Round 20 – Tommy Williams, SS, Palm Beach Gardens HS/N. Palm Beach, FL

Named an Honorable Mention Rawlings High School Preseason All-American, and 1st Team All-Florida Preseason squad … Signed letter of intent to play at Central Florida.

We’ll lump the final 10 rounds into one entry … coming shortly …

Day 2 pick list

Here is the list of draft picks for the Arizona Diamondbacks in Day 2 of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft:

Round 2 – Anthony Meo, RHP, Coastal Carolina/Cranston, RI
Round 3 – Justin Bianco, CF, Peters Township HS, PA
Round 4 – Evan Marshall, RHP, Kansas State/Sunnyvale, CA
Round 5 – Michael Perez, C, ColegioVocacional Para Adultos, PR
Round 6 – Matthew Price, RHP, South Carolina/Sumter, SC
Round 7 – Ben Roberts, OF, Missoula Sentinel HS, MT
Round 8 – Jesse Darrah, RHP, Fresno Pacific
Round 9 – John Leonard, SS, Connellsville Area HS, PA
Round 10 – Kyle Winkler, RHP, TCU
Round 11 – Will Locante, LHP, Cumberland Univ./Memphis, TN
Round 12 – Joshua Parr, SS, Illinois/Chillicothe, IL
Round 13 – John Pedrotty, LHP, Holy Cross/Portsmouth, NH
Round 14 – Cody Geyer, RHP, Walters State CC/Weaverville, NC
Round 15 – Steven Rodriguez, C, UCLA/Lomita, CA
Round 16 – Michael Blake, LHP, Hawaii/Vancouver, WA
Round 17 – Adam Choplick, LHP, Billy Ryan HS, TX
Round 18 – Taylor Siemens, LHP, California Baptist/La Mirada, CA
Round 19 – Danny Pulfer, 2B, Oregon/Cypress, CA
Round 20 – Tommy Williams, SS, Palm Beach Gardens HS/N. Palm Beach, FL
Round 21 – John Griffin, 1B, Central Florida/Bradenton, FL
Round 22 – Garrett Weber, SS, Fresno State
Round 23 – Ryan Court, 3B, Illinois State
Round 24 – Matt Ogden, RHP, Smoky Hill HS, CO
Round 25 – George Williams, OF, NC State
Round 26 – Austin Platt, RHP, Bradenton, FL
Round 27 – Wyatt Straham, RHP, Villa Park HS, CA
Round 28 – Truman Sample, RHP, Rogers State
Round 29 – Carter Bell, 3B, Oregon State
Round 30 – Dexter Price, RHP, South Carolina-Beaufort

Day 3 will include Rounds 31-50. We will recap Day 3 when it is completed. More info coming soon …

MLB Draft – D-backs Rounds 11 through 15

Here are the D-backs picks in the 2011 MLB Draft, Rounds 11-15, with as much info as we can muster …

Round 11 – Will Locante, LHP, Cumberland Univ./Memphis, TN

Was 8-2 with a 2.11 ERA, completing eight games, including a pair of shutouts for the Bulldogs … Is Cumberland’s highest draft choice since 2006 … Fanned 118 batters in 89 innings of work, and allowed just a .179 batting average … Was named an NAIA Second-Team All-American in 2011 … Pitched for the University of Tennessee for two seasons,  going 3-1 with a 6.43 ERA in 24 games … A two-time All-State selection while playing at Briarcrest Christian, and a Louisville Slugger First-Team High School All-American … Participated in 2007 Worth Showcase … Also wrestled in high school … Member of National Honor Society and Latin National Honor Society.

Round 12 – Joshua Parr, SS, Illinois/Chillicothe, IL

Hit .302 in 51 games for the Fighting Illini, with 11 doubles, five triples, two home runs and 36 RBIs, plus stole 17 of 19 bases … Named third team All-Big Ten as a sophomore … Played for the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League during the summer of 2010, earning mid-season and post-season All-Star honors while posting a .307 batting average … Was a two-time All-State honoree while at Illinois Valley Central … Both parents played and his twin brothers are playing sports in college.

Round 13 – John Pedrotty, LHP, Holy Cross/Portsmouth, NH

Moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation for the Crusaders this past spring, posting a 7-2 mark with a 4.67 ERA … struck out 56 batters in 60 1/3 innings pitched … Also played in the outfield and first base during his freshman and sophomore seasons … Was named All-Division in his junior and senior seasons at Portsmouth HS, and was the Division I MVP in 2008 … Also played varsity football for three seasons.

Round 14 – Cody Geyer, RHP, Walters State CC/Weaverville, NC

Pitched just 15 innings for Walters State this past spring, striking out 16 batters, going 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in the process … Hit .336 with seven home runs and 49 RBIs at the plate … Owns the North Carolina state career scholastic home run record … Named First-team All-State and earned a conference Player of the Year nod … Also earned Rawlings Top 200 All-American honors.

Round 15 – Steven Rodriguez, C, UCLA/Lomita, CA

Hit .215 during his career at UCLA, making 46 starts (playing 48 games) behind the plate … caught fellow D-back draftee Trevor Bauer … Selected and played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, helping Team USA win the silver medal at the 2010 FISU World University Baseball Games … Was team captain for St. John Bosco, and also served as senior class secretary, ranking in the top 25 in his senior class.

The draft, as we type, is in Round 25. We’ll update as soon as possible …

MLB Draft: D-backs Rounds 6-10

Here are the 6th through 10th-round selections for the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft:

Round 6 – Matthew Price, RHP, South Carolina/Sumter, SC

Was 5-3 with 17 saves with a 2.25 ERA in 30 appearances for the Gamecocks this past spring … struck out 63 batters in 48 innings of work … Held opponents to a .202 batting average in 2011 … Was named a Freshman All-American, and earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2010, and was also named to the SEC All-Freshman team … Missed most of 2009 with a broken arm suffered while fielding a ball … Was 7-4 with a 0.40 ERA as a senior at Sumter HS, and earned All-State honors, plus was named to the South Carolina Select team, playing in the South Carolina/North Carolina Select game in 2008 … won two state titles in 2006, one with Sumter HS and the other with the Sumter American Legion squad.

Round 7 – Ben Roberts, OF, Missoula Sentinel HS, MT

A former three-sport star in high school, played football and Legion baseball this past season … Currently hitting .338 with three home runs, 24 RBIs and six stolen bases in limited action so far this season for the Missoula Mavericks American Legion squad … Hit .415 with 16 home runs and 76 RBIs to help the Missoula Mavericks to a 2010 Montana/Alberta State Legion title and a 3rd place finish in the Northwest District Tournament … Is the first participant of the annual D-backs Tryout Camp in Missoula to be selected in the MLB Draft … Set a new state record for receptions this past fall at Missoula Sentinel HS.

Round 8 – Jesse Darrah, RHP, Fresno Pacific

Was 7-1 with a 2.44 ERA in 13 starts for the Sunbirds, striking out a school-record 101 batters in 88 2/3 innings pitched … Struck out three batters in a three-inning stint vs. Triple-A Fresno in an exhibition game … Previously pitched at Sacramento State, where he was a Louisville Slugger and Collegiate Baseball NCAA Freshman All-American … Earned All-State honors his senior season, after striking out 123 batters in 88 innings pitched, posting a 1.51 ERA, and hitting .485 with six home runs and 38 RBIs.

Round 9 – John Leonard, SS, Connellsville Area HS, PA

Has signed letter of intent with NC State, reports say that draft positioning would have to be high enough for him to consider signing a professional baseball contract.

Round 10 – Kyle Winkler, RHP, TCU

Made 50 appearances and started 46 games for the Horned Frogs, going 27-6 with a 2.39 ERA and 239 strikeouts in 281 innings pitched … TCU went 32-14 in his starts, and 35-15 in his appearances … Two-time all-conference and a third-team All-American … Earned invite to 2009 and 2010 Team USA Trials … Started a team-record 19 games in 2010 … Picked in the 37th round by Milwaukee in the 2008 MLB Draft … Earned first-team All-State honors as a senior.

Scout video can be found here.

Pick No. 9 for the D-backs is a high-schooler …

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected shortstop John Leonard of Connellsville Area High School in Pennsylvania with their ninth-round choice in the 2011 MLB Draft.