The Major League Baseball Draft is just a week away (June 9-11). For the first time ever, the first-round of the draft will be aired during prime time on the Major League Baseball Network (it has aired during the day on ESPN the last two years).

No Washington State players will hear their name called on national television this year, but several could become the property of a big league team by the end of Wednesday.

Five Cougars are ranked in Baseball America's list of the top 33 draft-eligible players in the state of Washington. Pitcher Matt Way is ranked the highest at No. 4, outfielder Jared Prince is next at No. 21, catcher/infielder Alex Burg is No. 26, pitcher Chad Arnold is No. 29, and reliever Seth Harvey is No. 30.

Here is a little bit about each player:

Matt Way, SP: Way was drafted last year in the 36th round by the San Francisco Giants, but he returned for his senior season instead of signing. It was a smart move. Washington State made its first postseason since 1990, and Way was a major part of that (he went 8-4 with a 2.43 ERA...he also struck out ten in his start against Arkansas at regionals). His success this season also boosted his draft stock. Baseball America expects him to be "the first Northwest senior off the board, likely around the seventh round."

Jared Prince, OF: Prince spent most of his career at Washington State as a pitcher and an outfielder. He was successful at first, winning Freshman All-America honors as a utility player, but battled injuries for much of his sophomore and junior seasons. He pitched and played in the field this year until head coach Donnie Marbut decided to make him just an outfielder (Prince had a 6.05 ERA in eight games). Prince regained confidence at the plate after that (he hit .343 with seven home runs and 38 RBI this year), which is why someone will draft him.

Alex Burg, C/INF: Burg is originally from Washington (Des Moines), but played at Clemson University his freshman and sophomore years. He transferred to Washington State after a lack of playing time (he started only 26 of the 72 games he played with the Tigers). He came to Wazzu and started immediately...and the Cougs benefitted. Burg has played catcher, first base, second base, third base, left field, right field, and even pitcher since coming to WSU. He played really well this year (he batted .346 with seven home runs and 34 RBI), but missed 15 games with an ACL injury (Baseball America says "that didn't help his draft stock").

Chad Arnold, SP: Arnold is only a redshirt sophomore, so if he isn't drafted high enough I expect him to come back to Wazzu next season (that's my hope at least). Arnold missed all of 2006 after Tommy John surgery and struggled as a freshman in the Pac-10 (a pretty common problem), but he really brought his game together this year (he was 8-3 with a 4.39 ERA). Baseball America thinks "he has fringy stuff and struggles with his control." We'll see if he gets picked or not.

Seth Harvey, RP: Harvey is a junior, so just like Arnold, if he isn't selected high enough I expect to see him with the Cougs next year. Baseball America says Harvey "looked good in Alaska last summer, touching 93 mph with his fastball, but has been inconsistent this year." I was a little surprised to see Harvey's name on the list, but he did have solid numbers in 2009 (he had a 2.25 ERA, striking out 28 batters in 24 innings), so who knows.

Here's my sleeper draft pick...

Greg Lagreid, C: Lagreid is a little small (6'0" 190lbs.), but he can hit the ball (he led the team in RBI (42) and doubles (13)) and plays well in the field (he committed only four errors this year). He's competed in several wood bat summer leagues (and has done well), including a stint with the Spokane RiverHawks last year (he batted .292 with a home run and 19 RBI in just 27 games). Even if he's not picked, Lagreid has a bright future ahead of himself. He's been named to the Pac-10 All-Academic Team the past three seasons (he had a 3.48 GPA in finance this year).

We'll be keeping a close eye on next week's draft, so be sure to tune into to KREM 2 News on Tuesday and Wednesday (you should actually tune into us every day!).

We'll also have tons of draft coverage on KREM.com and we'll have all of the latest updates on Twitter (when something happens in the local sports world...it goes on our Twitter page first, so be sure to follow us).

Have a great day and GO COUGS!

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