No Washington State players were picked yesterday on the first day of the Major League Draft (even though I lingered around Pullman most of the afternoon hoping one would get picked). It didn't take long today (Day Two) for a Cougar to hear his name called.

Senior third baseman Paul Gran was picked by the Florida Marlins in the 7th Round, the 208th overall choice.

Gran played most of his career at shortstop, but moved to third base this year. He made only one error at his new position and was named the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. He can also get it done on the offensive end. Gran batted .313/.540/.397 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI.

Before the draft, Baseball America named Gran the third best draft prospect in the state of Washington (only Trevor May of Kelso High School and Washington's Nick Haughian ranked higher). The scouting report said that defense is Gran's best tool (good range with an average arm) and that he best profiles as a utility player in the pros (he'll play third, short, and second).

Several other Cougars (and WSU recruits) are expected to hear their names called today. Baseball America put pitcher Matt Way (#5), West Valley (Spo.) outfielder Bryan Peterson (recruit; #6), pitcher/outfielder Jared Prince (#20), first baseman Jim Murphy (#21), Central Valley (Spo.) pitcher Rusty Shellhorn (recruit; #23), and catcher Greg Legried (#25) on their list of top draft prospects from the state.

I'll update everyone's status as the draft continues...so come back and see how things are going.

UPDATE 11:11am: Senior first baseman Jim Murphy was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 17th Round, the 526th overall pick.

Murphy had a spectacular senior season after struggling the two previous seasons at Washington State. The 6'3" 247 pounder hit .324/.667/.445 with 16 home runs and 61 RBI (both team highs).

Baseball America listed Murphy as the 21st best draft prospect in the state of Washington, but didn't have high hopes for him in their scouting report. They said, "he's an organizational player for most as he strikes out too much and lacks athleticism." NOTE: An organizational player is someone who fills a hole in the minor leagues, but is never expected to make the big leagues.

Two Cougar recruits were also selected:

West Valley (Spo.) High School outfielder Bryan Peterson was picked by the Boston Red Sox in the 11th Round. When I talked to him earlier this year, he told me he'd likely sign if he was drafted high enough. All indications are...he won't see Bailey-Brayton Field in the future.

Another recruit (that I forgot about earlier), Christian Scholl, a right-handed pitcher from Green River Community College, was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the 8th Round. Just like with Peterson, I think Scholl will likely sign and won't come to WSU.

Stay tuned for more updates...

UPDATE 2:40pm: I don't have much time because I am putting together my show, but two more Cougars were drafted.

Senior pitcher Jayson Miller was picked by the Los Angeles Angels in the 30th Round, the 919th overall selection.

Junior pitcher Matt Way, who saw time as a starter and reliever, went to the San Francisco Giants in the 36th Round, the 1077th overall pick. He told the WSU Sports Information Department that it's nice to be selected, but he'll likely be back in a Cougar uniform next year.

I'll try to get more information out about these guys later tonight....

UPDATE 9:24pm: Here's the information I promised on Miller and Way...

Miller was named Pac-10 honorable mention after going 8-1 (the most wins by a Cougar since 2004) with a 4.06 ERA this year. He also struck out a team-high 74 batters.

"I am so happy for Jayson," Cougars head coach Donnie Marbut said. "His entire career he has proven people wrong and I would not be surprised to see him still pitching five years down the road."

Miller added, "I can't wait. I was sitting around hoping someone would give me a shot. I am just going to continue to work hard and try to move up (through the organization)."

Like I mentioned before, Way will probably return to Washington State for his senior season:

"It's nice to be drafted, but I am most likely coming back to school for my senior season," Way said.

Marbut added, "It is good to see Matt get drafted, but I look forward to next year when I believe he will be a much higher pick."

The 2009 recruiting class might have taken a pretty serious hit. Six players who signed National Letters of Intent to play at WSU were picked by big league teams.

The biggest loss will be West Valley's Bryan Peterson. He was picked by the Red Sox in the 11th Round and will sign and become a professional.

Central Valley (Spo.) pitcher Rusty Shellhorn was drafted by the White Sox in the 39th Round. I talked to his high school coach tonight and he said Shellhorn will more than likely not sign and come to Wazzu (he didn't guarantee anything).

Draftees have until August 15th to sign (or not)...we'll see what happens.

3 Comments

Info said:

actually draftees have until August 15 to sign

June 9, 2008 9:11 AM

Jeff said:

Tim, any word on when Cougar first baseman is going to sign with the Phillies?

June 16, 2008 4:22 PM

tlewis said:

Jeff,

Thanks for leaving the comment on my blog!

When I talked to Jim Murphy on draft day he made it sound like he would quickly sign and would likely start his career with the Williamsport Crosscutters.

According to everything I've seen, you're right, it looks like Murphy still hasn't signed (I'm going to look into this a little more and I'll keep you updated). He's also not listed on the Crosscutters roster (maybe he's starting with the Gulf Coast League Phillies, but that's usually reserved for high school players and foreign free agents).

I wish I had a better answer for you right now, but I need to do more research. I'll have more information for you tomorrow.

Tim

June 16, 2008 9:58 PM

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