D-backs pick pitcher in 8th round

The Arizona Diamondbacks have selected right-handed pitcher Jesse Dorrah from Fresno Pacific with their eight-round pick in the 2011 MLB Draft.

Ben Roberts picked by the D-backs

The Arizona Diamondbacks have selected Missoula Sentinel senior, and current Missoula Maverick outfielder Ben Roberts, in the 7th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Day 2 picks – Rounds 2 through 5

Here are the Day 2 picks for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Rounds 2 through 5:

Round 2 – Anthony Meo, RHP, Coastal Carolina/Cranston, RI

Meo is projected to be a reliever at the next level, although he has spent most of his college career as a starter … Was 10-3 with a 2.16 ERA in 16 starts for the Chanticleers this past spring, striking out 115 batters in 108 1/3 innings pitched … Earned a nod on the Preseason All-America list and was also among the National Player of the Year candidates … Posted a 2-1 record with Bourne of the Cape Cod League, with a 3.12 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP … Had 32 wins for Coastal Carolina (32-7), with a 2.52 career ERA … Was a two-time All-State selection while at Cranston West HS, winning back-to-back state titles in the process.

Round 3 – Justin Bianco, CF, Peters Township HS, PA

Had a stellar senior season for the Indians, hitting .583, with 22 runs, two home runs, 29 RBIs, and an 1.497 OPS … Hit .406 with 22 runs scored, 10 RBIs and a 1.008 OPS as a junior… Played a variety of positions this past spring, but will likely be an outfielder at the professional level … Judged to have the “Best Speed” among Pennsylvania draft prospects by Perfect Game USA … Named to the WPIAL Baseball Coaches Association Class AAAA All-Star team.
YouTube Video:

Round 4 – Evan Marshall, RHP, Kansas State/Sunnyvale, CA – 6-2, 205 – R/R – 4/18/90

Posted a 5-5 mark with one save and a team-best 1.62 ERA in 30 relief appearances this past spring for the Wildcats … Struck out 51 in 65 innings pitched, and held opponents to a .218 batting average … Spent most of his collegiate career as a reliever, and is projected as a reliever in the professional baseball ranks … Had 78 career relief appearances … Four-year letterman for Homestead, named team MVP all four years, and was an All-Central Coast Section pick as a junior … Named to the 2008 Preseason Louisville Slugger High School All-American list .. Majoring in Business Administration, but will get into Sports Management following graduation.

Round 5 – Michael Perez, RHP, ColegioVocacional Para Adultos, PR – 5-11, 180 – L/R – 8/7/92

No information available at the moment. We will see what we can find …

Next full update – Rounds 6 through 15, with picks being posted as soon as possible.

First position player taken by D-backs …

The D-backs take high-school outfielder Justin Bianco with their third-round pick. We’ll have more on Bianco (including video) later today.

And the first pick of the day …

The D-backs pick another pitcher with their Round 2 choice in the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft. It’s Coastal Carolina right-handed pitcher Anthony Meo. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Meo can touch the mid-90s with his fastball, and is projected to be a reliever at the next level. Meo also threw the first-ever no-hitter in Big South Conference Tournament history last month.

We’ll have more on Meo and the rest of the early portion of the Day 2 picks online in a bit …

Day 2 of MLB Draft about to begin

The second day of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft should provide some interesting situations, including whether or not the Arizona Diamondbacks elect to stick to pitching or start looking to fill a couple of depth needs in the organization – catcher and middle infield.

We’ll keep you up to date …

Chafin is 43rd pick of draft, goes to D-backs

The final pick of the night for the D-backs came in Compensation Round A, where they chose Kent State left-handed pitcher Andrew Chafin with the 43rd overall selection.

Chafin, who is a draft-eligible redshirt sophomore, pitched the Golden Flashes to a NCAA Austin Regional win over host and national #7 seed Texas. Chafin was 8-1 with a 2.02 ERA this spring for the Golden Flashes, with 105 strikeouts in 89 innings pitched, and was 12-2 in his career at Kent State, with eight saves, a 1.80 ERA and 160 Ks in 124 2/3 innings pitched.

And … video of Chafin, an interview done during the MAC Tournament at the end of May.

The draft resumes on Tuesday at 10 a.m., and we will be following along here on Bird Droppings throughout the day.

Info on No. 7 pick Archie Bradley

Here’s what we were able to gather on Archie Bradley …

Three-sport star in high school, has signed letter of intent to play football at the University of Oklahoma … Possesses a mid-90s fastball, a plus curveball (knuckle-curve) and what scouts call a “serviceable” changeup … Helped Broken Arrow win the Oklahoma Class 6A state baseball title, beating Owasso and fellow first-round pick Dylan Bundy (No. 4 overall), whom went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in the title game … Posted a 12-1 record his senior season, allowing just three earned runs in 71 1/3 innings, striking out 133 while walking just 11.

Trevor Bauer and No. 7 pick

The D-backs go with a high-school pitcher with the No. 7 pick – Archie Bradley, RHP, Broken Arrow HS, Oklahoma

The info on Trevor Bauer (from what would be his bio):

In three seasons with UCLA, posted a 34-8 record and a 2.36 ERA, setting school career marks in wins, strikeouts (460) and innings pitched (373.1). Bauer broke the Pac-10 single-season strikeout record this past spring with 203 Ks, and ranks second to Washington grad Tim Lincecum in career strikeouts in Pac-10 history … Also pitched nine straight complete games (10 in all), while leading the nation in Ks … Named Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year, and named Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year … Named as one of 30 finalists for the Golden Spikes Award, and one of 25 semifinalists for the College Baseball Hall of Fame National Pitcher of the Year … Played for USA Baseball National Team (collegiate) in the summer of 2009, including a win over Guatemala.

D-backs pick a pitcher with No. 3

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected UCLA right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer with the No. 3 pick in the first round of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft. More information coming soon …