BB: D3 MLB Draft projections, picks and free-agent signings

[mr_b]

Ronnie LaBrie from Lynchburg has a chance. Coach Abell has received calls from teams interested in him and he had a pre-draft workout thing that went well...

Good call, LCasid.  LaBrie was selected by the Nationals.

[mr_b]

I see that Mike Eifel (Dominican University of River Forest, IL) was selected by the Giants at pick #627.  That's one that didn't make the previous list.

[OshDude]

Have a feeling we have two more names to go: Dan Remenowsky and Mike Zaccardo. And maybe Derek David.

[mr_b]

I'm surprised David hasn't been selected yet.

[BaseballFan]

Dan Kauffman 1392 from Juniata

[OshDude]

Speedy 6'3" OF Dean Laganosky from Haverford goes in the 45th to Cleveland.

[ecfaninri]

Nate Nelson - Worcester State - looks like J.P. Ricciardi likes the local talent for the Blue Jays. They might like his power. Congrats to Kiely and DiBenedetto from Trinity.

[BaseballFan]

Bret Holland Texas Tyler 1435

[OshDude]

We're at 19, the same as last season. Still some nice players left to tip the 2008 draft past '07.

Zach Foster, 6'4" RHP from Pitt-Bradford, to Pittsburgh in the 49th.

[Jim Dixon]

A complete list of 19 players drafted in the 2008 MLB draft

245. Ryan Kulik, Rowan by St Louis (round 8 )
257. Kurt Yacko, Chapman by Colorado (8 )
506. Frank Pfister, Emory by Cincinnati (17)
627. Mike Eifel, Dominican by San Francisco (21)
643. Adam Frost, St. Norbert by Detroit (21)
738. Nelson Gomez, Keystone by Arizona (24)
782. Shane Wolf, Ithaca by Houston (26)
829. T.m Kiely, Trinity (Conn) by Arizona (27)
1019. Bryan Gardner, Ithaca by Cincinnati (34)
1058. Mike Vass, Chapman by Milwaukee (35)
1088. Evan Bronson, Trinity (Texas) by Milwaukee (36)
1132. Thomas DeBenedetto, Trinity (Conn.) by Boston (37)
1136. Thomas Phelps, Whittier by Baltimore (38)
1141. Ronnie Labrie, Lynchburg by Washington (38)
1209. Nate Nelson, Worcester State by Toronto (40)
1368. Dean Laganosky, Haverford by Cleveland (45)
1392. Dan Kauffman, Juniata by Arizona (46)
1435. Brett Holland, Texas-Tyler by Oakland (48)
1452. Zachary Foster, Pitt-Bradford by Pittsburgh (49)

and a transfer for a D-III school:
699. Chick Huggins, UCSB by Toronto (23) - played at Trinity (Texas)

[infielddad]

This is surely a nice day for every one of these players.  Some were likely told they would go higher, and didn't.  Some were told nothing and ended up drafted.  But, all in all, when you can be drafted by a MLB team from DIII baseball, it is a terrific accomplishment. 
Ralph's comments a few weeks back about the tenacity and mental toughness of these kids will now become apparent, along with that desire and hunger to prove they belong. Coming from a DIII background to Milb is  very special. But every DIII player our son met in Milb had something very special about them.
Good luck to every one of them who signs and moves to the next level where you hopefully will soon be able to follow them on the Milb site.
For those who hoped to be picked and it didn't happen, just remember that no one can figure this out.  I have a friend who's son is a top player on a team in the Super Regionals.  They got a call last night talking about him being picked somewhere around round 15.  Round 50 just ended, and he didn't get picked...at all.  And now he needs to mentally rebound, get on the field, and play at the very top of his game with Omaha as his.
As happy as I am for the kids who were picked, I am equally sad for those young men who hoped to be...and weren't. 

[bbnag101]

No players drafted on the first day

Free agents can negotiate their own contract.  If fact you have greater freedom since you can negotiate with all teams, not just one.  Of course if a team thought you were on their top 50 players they can get, you would have been drafted.

No player has to sign a contract.  If the deal is not acceptable, you dont sign.  It really is the same for any of us.  All jobs I have had I applied knowing the pay was acceptable or was able to negotiate a higher rate.

CONGRATS to all players that were drafted!!!! -  Now we will see how many get picked up as Free Agents

[infielddad]

With Evan Bronson being drafted this year, Trinity(Tx.) has now had 3 picked since 2004.  If you include Chuck Huggins who started at Trinity, and Steve Edsall(drafted in 2004) who also started there before  transferring to DII Rollins College in Fla, that is an indication of where Coach Scannell and his staff have the program headed.
It is also a terrific indication that Coach Scannell has a keen eye for talent when he is recruiting and a wonderful ability to develop that talent when the kids get into his program. Scouts along the I35 corridor now make Trinity a regular stop.  This year's freshman class, if they continue to develop and improve, could make for more and longer stops for more scouts.

[Krakatoa]

ifd, you know what I'm hoping for three or four years from now 

Does anyone know why Wayde Kitchens (JR Chapman) wasn't taken?  I'm just curious.

[infielddad]

Does anyone know why Wayde Kitchens (JR Chapman) wasn't taken?  I'm just curious.

Krak, that is one of those draft mysteries, just like the top shortstop from the DI powerhouse who is playing in a Super Regional this week and was not picked.
MLB.com used to  provide more information about more players from the MLB scouting bureau reports when they posted the draft tracker  a few weeks before the draft.
Those gave more insight into the players other than those at the very top of the draft board. It is too bad they don't anymore.
I would imagine these two days provide those undrafted players with a lot of motivation.  I know it did in our house. 
Let's hope another year of college ball, a good summer in a wood bat league, and a lot of hard work in the weight room will make the results different for those players next June.