Anteaters await potential roster pillaging by pro ranks

Though the UC Irvine baseball team saw its season end in May for the first time in the last three years, the month of June will mean losses for the Anteaters’ roster with the advent of the Major League Draft, held today through Thursday.

UCI Coach Mike Gillespie, who has seen hundreds of his players drafted in 22 seasons as a Division I coach, including 20 years at USC, said several Anteaters will be awaiting word about a possible opportunity to play professionally.

All-Americans Danny Bibona, Ben Orloff and Eric Pettis are expected to be drafted, as are juniors Christian Bergman and Francis Larson, Gillespie said.

Additional Anteaters who could receive the call include Eric Deragisch, Casey Stevenson, Kyle Necke, Cory Olson and Cory Hamilton.

Brian Hernandez, Dillon Bell, Ryan Fisher, Tony Asaro, Brock Bardeen and Jeff Cusick are additional UCI players eligible to be selected.

In addition, UCI recruits Beau Wright and Paul Strong, both left-handed pitchers, are considered among the nation’s top high school prospects.

Another UCI recruit, Orange Coast College sophomore Drew Hillman, is expected to join fellow OCC standout Brett Wallach among those drafted.

Gillespie said projecting which round players will be selected is difficult, since projections vary greatly from professional scouts he talks with. And teams are often unwilling to tip their hand.

But Gillespie said he expects that good news for UCI players could be less good for the program.

“We’re sort of at the mercy of pro ball,” Gillespie said of the pliable nature of projecting future personnel at his disposal for the 2010 season.

The 2009 season ended prematurely for the ’Eaters (45-15), who ran away with the school’s first Big West Conference title and were ranked No. 1 in the nation for six weeks during the regular season. UCI was eliminated in its own four-team regional by Virginia, which has advanced to the College World Series.

Largely responsible for the success in 2009 were Bibona and Orloff.

Bibona, a junior left-hander, was 12-1 with a 2.63 earned-run average on his way to being named first-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball. The Big West Pitcher of the Year struck out 108 in 106 innings and limited opponents to a .209 batting average. But at 6-foot, 170 pounds, and without eye-popping velocity, Bibona figures to have to wait until Wednesday to be selected.

The first three rounds will be conducted today, beginning at 3 p.m. Rounds four through 30 are Wednesday, with rounds 31 through 50 scheduled Thursday.

Orloff, a senior shortstop who was the Big West Player of the Year and a third-team All-American, was selected in the 19th round by the Colorado Rockies last season. He hit .358 with 62 runs, 28 runs batted in and 18 stolen bases in his final collegiate campaign.

Pettis, a third-team All-American, recorded 17 saves to go with a 5-2 record and a 3.86 ERA. He struck out 37 in 42 innings as a junior this season.

Wallach, the Southern California Community College Player of the Year who helped lead the Pirates (37-15) to the state title and a school single-season record for wins, could be selected in the third, fourth or fifth round, OCC Coach John Altobelli said.

Wallach, the son of former major league infielder Tim Wallach, is projected as a professional pitcher. He was 10-1 with a 2.26 ERA and four saves this season, striking out 111 in 103 2/3 innings. The Long Beach State signee also hit .371 with three homers and 48 RBIs as the Pirates’ cleanup hitter.

Bergman, a junior right-hander and second-team All-Big West honoree, was 9-3 with a 3.50 ERA in 2009.

Larson, a junior catcher, led the ’Eaters in home runs and RBIs for a second straight season. Larson hit .309 with nine homers and 43 RBIs in 2009, his first season as the team’s full-time catcher. He was a first-team all-conference pick.

Strong, like Wright listed at 6-2, 200 pounds, was 7-2 with a 1.58 ERA for in 10 starts for Marina High in 2009. His five complete games included a no-hitter and he was ranked No. 63 among the nation’s top high school senior prospects by Rivals.com.

Strong struck out 87, while allowing just 41 hits in 70 2/3 innings as a senior. He walked 31.

Wright, an All-American as a junior, when he was named Sunset League Player of the Year and a first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division I performer, was 2-2 with a 3.23 ERA. The Los Alamitos High standout struck out 65 and allowed 40 hits in 43 1/3 innings, while walking 24 in 2009.

Wright was No. 54 among the top 100 high school prospects by Baseball America.

Gillespie said Simi Valley High catcher-pitcher Drew Sandler and Saugus High pitcher Kyle Hooper are other UCI recruits who may also be drafted.

Hillman, a hard-hitting third baseman, is projected to go between rounds 10 and 15, Altobelli said. The two-time All-Southern California performer, hit .363 with 11 homers, 53 RBIs, a school-record 21 doubles and a .646 slugging percentage for the Pirates in 2009.

Deragisch, a first-team All-Big West performer who split time between third base and the outfield, hit .355 with three homers and 39 RBIs as a senior.

Stevenson, a junior second baseman who earned second-team All-Big West Conference recognition, hit .346 with three homers and 41 RBIs.

Hernandez, whom Gillespie called the program’s best hitter, sat out 2009 due to eligibility issues after transferring from a community college.

“If [some scouts] were doing their job and paying attention in the fall and in some of our intrasquad games, [Hernandez] has a chance to get drafted,” Gillespie said.

Asaro, who hit .230 with no homers and 10 RBIs as a senior, was drafted in the 47th round by the St. Louis Cardinals last season.

Altobelli said sophomore Ricky Stokes is another hoping to be drafted, while former Pirates Eric Oliver (a senior at UC Santa Barbara) and Nick Rotkowitz (a senior at Biola) and Daniel Cooper (a Costa Mesa High product who pitched at Rice and USC) are additional prospects awaiting the call.