Several Las Vegans selected on second day of MLB Draft

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Published Tuesday, June 8, 2010 | 1:07 p.m.

Updated Tuesday, June 8, 2010 | 10:56 p.m.

A phone call College of Southern Nevada right-handed pitcher Donn Roach made last fall to the Los Angeles Angels' director of scouting could have factored into the Angels' decision to select him Tuesday in the MLB First-Year Player Entry Draft.

The Angels took Roach with the No. 115 overall pick in the compensation round between the third and fourth rounds, going after the hard-throwing pitching prospect for the second time in three years.

The Angels selected Roach in the 40th round of the 2008 draft out of Bishop Gorman High, but the two sides couldn't agree on a deal and he headed off to the University of Arizona.

The negotiations between the team and the Roach family became heated through e-mails, the pitcher said. So heated he thought there were some hard feelings.

"So, at the beginning of the year, I called the scouting director and left a message saying the past is the past," Roach said. "They loved it."

Roach went 11-3 with 131 strikeouts in 103 innings for CSN, resurrecting his career after struggling in one season at Arizona. He went 1-4 with a 7.84 earned run average for Arizona, but fixed a mechanical problem with his arm slot at CSN and returned to the dominating ways he enjoyed in high school.

Now, as a top pick, he can expect a substantial signing bonus. If not, he always can fall back on a scholarship to the University of South Carolina.

He expects the negotiations to be calmer this time.

"My parents wanted me to go to college and they (the Angels) wanted me to sign," Roach said. "They knew I was going to college, but they still took a shot (at signing me)."

In total, 20 with local ties were taken Tuesday during the draft's second day, including six from the College of Southern Nevada. Led by top overall pick Bryce Harper, the junior college program reached the Junior College World Series this spring and typically played in front of numerous scouts who were evaluating Harper.

After Roach, pitcher Kenny McDowall was the next CSN player picked, going to the New York Mets in the eighth round with the No. 242 pick. Reliever Aaron Kurcz followed in the 10th round, being selected No. 310 with the Chicago Cubs.

CSN pitchers Chasen Shreve (11th round, Atlanta Braves), Tyler Hanks (17th round, Washington Nationals) and Bryan Harper (27th round, Chicago Cubs) were picked Tuesday. Also, former CSN outfielder Jordan Keegan went No. 728 overall in the 24th round to the Chicago White Sox.

UNLV senior pitcher Matt Hutchison has been the lone Rebel taken thus far, getting picked in the 25th round by the Philadelphia Phillies. Hutchison, who went 6-4 with a 4.46 ERA and four saves in 23 appearances, struck out 62 batters and walked 28 in 78.2 innings. His selection marked the 26th straight year a UNLV player has been picked.

A slew of Las Vegas-area high school players also were selected Tuesday.

Sierra Vista High right-handed Nick Kingman went to the Pittsburgh Pirates with the second pick of the fourth round, No. 117 overall. Kingman also has a scholarship to Oregon.

Silverado shortstop Drew Robinson was the next local to be taken, going in the fourth round at the No. 136 overall pick to the Texas Rangers.

Bonanza infielder Kris Byrant, who several draft experts had being picked in the initial four rounds, fell to the Toronto Blue Jays in the 18th round. Bryant, the state Gatorade Player of the Year, has a scholarship to San Diego.

Spring Valley pitcher Aaron Blair went in the 21st round to the Houston Astros, and Centennial pitcher Mike Wagner was picked by the Boston Red Sox in the 28th round.

A handful of college players with ties to Southern Nevada were also picked, including Sierra Vista graduate Lance Ray going in the eighth round to the Minnesota Twins. He's an outfielder at the University of Kentucky.

Also, the Arizona Diamondbacks took infielder Zach Walters, a Cimarron-Memorial High graduate, with the 271st overall pick in the ninth round. Walter is a junior at the University of San Diego. Arbor View graduate Dustin Hobbs of Yavapai College went No. 655 overall to the New York Yankees.

Silverado graduate and Cal-State Fullerton pitcher Kevin Rath went in the 26th round to the Chicago White Sox at No. 788 overall, while Ryan Pineda (Bonanza) of Cal-State Northridge was taken by the Oakland A's in the 28th round.