Byline: Chris Branam Daily News Staff Writer
Last week, USC pitcher Barry Zito said he pitched well enough this season to be considered a first-round pick in the Major League Baseball draft.
Zito, a junior left-hander who pitched at Pierce College last year, didn't imagine he would be among the top 10 picks. But that's what happened Wednesday when the Oakland Athletics made Zito the ninth overall selection.
``We talked to the (A's), so it was something that was an outside (chance),'' Zito said. ``It just blows my mind.''
USC catcher Eric Munson, the consensus top college player available, went to Detroit with the third pick. Munson is the highest selection from the L.A. area since the Angels took UCLA's Troy Glaus with the third pick in 1997.
Royal High's Scott Rice, a 6-foot-6 left-hander who wasn't a full-time starter until this season, became the second pitcher from Simi Valley in as many years to be picked in the first round. He was joined by Pepperdine pitcher Jay Gehrke as a supplemental first-round pick; Gehrke was taken by Kansas City at No. 32.
Rice, who was 6-2 with a 3.31 ERA this season, went to Baltimore with the 44th pick. Jeff Weaver, a Simi Valley graduate who went on to become an All-American at Fresno State, was taken by Detroit with the 14th pick last year and is now in the majors with the Tigers.
Rice, who committed to pitch at Arkansas next year, said he ``had no clue'' he was going to be drafted as high as we was.
``I'm just very excited,'' he said. ``When I woke up this morning, I wasn't nervous. People have been telling me, `You could go as early as a sandwich pick,' but I heard a lot of stories about the draft so I wasn't trying to expect anything.''
Rice said he is going to start negotiating with the Orioles this week.
``I just want to get out there and play baseball,'' he said. ``I don't want to start fighting in negotiations. That's not a great way to start my baseball career.''
The career of Westlake High's Kevin Howard is off to a rough start - if he signs at all. Howard, considered one of the top 50 high school players available, dropped to the 22nd round, where he was picked by the Padres. Howard committed to the University of Miami and may have scared off teams with his signing-bonus demands.
Twenty-two rounds of the draft were completed. The final half of the draft, which is limited to 50 rounds, is today.
Zito is 12-2 with 146 strikeouts this season for the Trojans. He struck out 16 batters in a game three times and became the third pitcher to go undefeated in the Pac-10 conference.
The A's probably took Zito - who starts Friday night in the first game of USC's super-regional series at Stanford - for two reasons. First, Zito is polished and, barring injury, should move through the minor leagues fairly quickly.
``They know I know how to pitch,'' Zito said, ``and I have three pitches that I command.''
Second, Zito was disillusioned by his holdout last year after he was drafted in the third round by Texas and indicated earlier this season he wants to sign quickly and begin his pro career.
``I think I'll be signed within a week or two after the (college) season is over,'' he said.
Munson, who missed 21 games earlier this season, is batting .338 with 14 home runs and 40 RBI. His selection fulfilled early-season predictions of being the top college player available in a draft considered thin on talent.
``I'm really excited to be with the Tigers and to be in the American League,'' Munson said. ``Obviously I'd like to get up there as quick as I can, but I'm going to have to be patient. Whatever they have in store for me is great.''
USC, Pepperdine and Cal State Northridge were all affected by the draft, whether by losing current players or facing the possibility of losing high school players who have committed for next year.
The Trojans had top recruits Alberto Concepcion (second round) and Pat Manning (third) drafted.
Gehrke, from North Dakota, saved a school-record 18 games for Pepperdine after transferring from Arizona State last summer. He expects to have quick negotiations with the Royals.
``I'm elated,'' Gehrke said. ``I'm as happy as I can be. I want to get going and I'm excited to get going.''
CSUN recruit Chris Testa, an outfielder at Palmdale, was a fifth-round choice of the Rockies. Catcher Jeremy Sickles and outfielder Danny Phillips, both juniors at CSUN, also were drafted.
Testa said he will negotiate with the Rockies before deciding whether or not to fulfill his college commitment.
``I'm weighing my options right now,'' Testa said. ``I'm pretty surprised.''
Ryan Christensen, a catcher at Arlington High in Riverside who visited Pepperdine on a recruiting trip and signed with UCLA, was taken by Seattle with the 11th pick in the first round. Ricky Manning, one of the Bruins' top football recruits, was taken by Minnesota in the 22nd round.
Arkansas pitcher David Walling, who was being recruited by CSUN in 1997 when the school temporarily dropped baseball, was also a first-round pick. The Yankees drafted Walling at No. 27.
Tampa Bay, with the first overall pick, selected Josh Hamilton (P-OF) from Athens Drive High in Raleigh, N.C.
AREA DRAFT PICKS
Name School Round, overall Team
Eric Munson USC 1, 3 Detroit
Barry Zito USC 1, 9 Oakland
Jay Gehrke Pepperdine 1, 32 Kansas City
Scott Rice Royal HS 1, 44 Baltimore
Steve Smyth USC 4, 140 Chicago (NL)
Dayle Campbell Pierce 5, 147 Detroit
Chris Testa Palmdale HS 5, 160 Colorado
Jason Lane USC 6, 203 Houston
Covelli Crisp Pierce 7, 222 St. Louis
Justin Lehr USC 8, 243 Oakland
Termmel Sledge L.B. State (Gran. Hills) 8, 245 Seattle
Jon Puccinelli Notre Dame HS 9, 292 San Diego
Jeremy Sickles CSUN 10, 302 Pittsburgh
Brad Ticehurst USC 10, 321 New York (AL)
Scott Verplancke Cal State L.A. 11, 348 San Francisco
Larry Brown San Fernando 12, 365Seattle
G.J. Raymundo Pepperdine 13, 391 Kansas City
Matt Riordan LMU (Westlake) 14, 427 Baltimore
John Wilson Kentucky (L.A. Baptist HS) 15, 449 Minnesota
Tony Cicero Cleveland HS 15, 453 Oakland
Danny Phillips CSUN (Chatsworth) 15, 460 Colorado
Greg Ienni Cal State L.A. 16, 502 San Diego
Brad Tucker Pepperdine 17, 516 Philadelphia
Robert Avila The Master's 18, 546 Philadelphia
Dominic Correa USC 18, 561 New York (AL)
Jack Santora UCLA 19, 568 Arizona
Noah Lowry Ventura College 19, 585 Texas
Rob Henkel UCLA 20, 616 New York (AL)
Michael Falco Agoura HS 21, 645 Texas
Wes Rasmussen Moorpark HS 21, 654 Atlanta
Kevin Howard Westlake HS 22, 682 San Diego
CAPTION(S):
Photo, Box
PHOTO Royal High ace Scott Rice was selected by Baltimore with the 44th overall pick in Wednesday's draft.
Evan Yee/Daily News
BOX: (Ran on Page 11) AREA DRAFT PICKS (see text)
