DENVER Major League Baseball completed its annual First-Year Player draft today and 18 WAC baseball players were picked. Rice led all WAC schools with eight players drafted. Nevada had five players selected, Hawaii was third with three, and Fresno State and Louisiana Tech had one each.
Rices David Aardsma was the first player selected from a WAC school and was picked by San Francisco in the first round with the 22nd overall pick. Aardsma is 5-3 with 10 saves and a 3.38 ERA in 34 appearances for the Owls. His teammate, Vincent Sinisi, was drafted in the second round by Texas. Sinisi is hitting .361 on the season with eight home runs and 54 RBI. Nevadas Kevin Kouzmanoff, the WACs Player of the Year, was selected in the sixth round by Cleveland. Kouzmanoff hit .361 with 17 home runs and 67 RBI this past season.
Several first team All-WAC players were drafted as well including: Sinisi, Kouzmanoff and Rices Jeff Jorgensen (OF), Enrique Cruz (2B) and Dane Bubela (OF/DH).
Rices season continues this weekend when it hosts Houston in a Super Regional. The winner of the best of three series advances to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., June 13-23.
-WAC-
WAC Players Selected
Rd.-Pick, Name, Pos., School, Team
1-22, David Aardsma, P, Rice, San Francisco
2-46, Vincent Sinisi, 1B, Rice, Texas
5-135, Craig Stansberry, 2B, Rice, Pittsburgh
6-168, Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B, Nevada, Cleveland
6-169, Mateo Miramontes, P, Nevada, NY Mets
7-194, Justin Azze, P, Hawaii, Baltimore
7-209, Jeff Jorgensen, OF, Rice, Houston
9-266, Justin Ruchti, C, Rice, Seattle
10-283, Casey McGehee, 3B, Fresno State, Chicago Cubs
12-359, Wade Robinson, SS, La. Tech, Houston
13-384, Zak Basch, P, Nevada, Boston
14-404, Brian Bock, C, Hawaii, Baltimore
14-424, Enrique Cruz, 2B, Rice, NY Yankees
16-471, Chris Dickerson, OF, Nevada, Cincinnati
17-495, Steven Herce, P, Rice, Pittsburgh
22-646, Dane Bubela, OF, Rice, Texas
23-671, Eddie Bonine, P, Nevada, San Diego
23-678, Tim Montgomery, OF, Hawaii, Cleveland