Area baseball beat: Sacramento State, UC Davis lead area in draft picks

Of the 1,516 players selected in the three-day, 40-round Major League Baseball first-year player draft, only 15 players came from the more than 75 high schools, four community colleges and two four-year institutions in the Sacramento region.

Four Sacramento State players were chosen: outfielder Nathan Lukes (Center High School) by the Cleveland Indians in the seventh round; right-handed closer Sutter McLoughlin (Rio Americano) by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 22nd round; shortstop Scotty Burcham by the Colorado Rockies in the 25th round; and right-hander Brennan Leitao by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 26th round.

Three UC Davis players were selected: first baseman Nick Lynchin the 30th round and catcher Izaak Silva in the 31st round by the Los Angeles Angels; and right-hander Max Cordy (McClatchy) in the 40th round by the Minnesota Twins.

Elk Grove shortstop and Bee co-Player of the Year Nick Madrigal was a 17th-round pick of the Indians, but he has decided to attend Oregon State on scholarship. Jesuit right-hander Tanner Dodson, a 31st-round choice by the New York Mets, tweeted he will honor his commitment to Cal, and Yuba City third baseman Caden Goldby, a 39th-round pick by the Miami Marlins, will have to decide between college and turning pro.

Dodson is the son of Bo Dodson, a 1989 third-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers out of Christian Brothers. Goldby is the brother of Cooper Goldby, a 36th-round choice by the A’s out of Yuba City in 2013.

Stanford left-hander Logan James (Jesuit) went to the Seattle Mariners in the 31st round. Oklahoma State catcher Bryan Case (Winters, Cosumnes River College) was picked by the Giants in the 27th round. Cal State Monterey Bay right-hander Kory Groves (Oakmont, Sacramento City) went to the Baltimore Orioles in the 34th round.

Yavapai, a community college in Prescott, Ariz., had right-hander Chandler Eden (Yuba City) taken in the 17th round by the Toronto Blue Jays. Later in that round, San Joaquin Delta College left-hander Cameron Avila-Leeper (Grant) went to the Giants.

American River, Cosumnes River, Sacramento City and Sierra colleges had no current players selected.

Draft notes

▪ When Lukes went to the Indians in the seventh round, it was the longest wait for a local player to be drafted since 2005, when left-hander Steve Hammond (Sacramento City) went in the sixth round to the Brewers.

▪ The longest wait was 18 rounds, when the Giants selected outfielder Kumandae Miller (Grant) in 1992. Since the inception of the draft in 1965, only once – in 2000 – has no area high school player been chosen.

▪ The first player drafted from the region was shortstop Doug Carson (Bishop Armstrong) in the second round by the Detroit Tigers in 1965.

▪ Four times, fewer than three area high school players have been selected in a single draft. In 2004, 35 players from the region were taken but only one from a local high school: left-hander Zach Phillips (Galt) in the 23rd round by the Texas Rangers. Twice, two preps were taken: in 1986, left-hander Pat Gomez (San Juan) in the fourth round by the Chicago Cubs and left-hander Jim Sloan (Casa Roble) in the 29th round by the New York Mets; and in 1991, outfielders Dan Vetter (Del Campo) in the 38th round by the Phillies and Danny Larivee (Rio Americano) in the 50th round by the New York Yankees.

Of 19 first-round draft choices, seven never reached – or have yet to reach – the majors: pitchers Casey Weathers (Laguna Creek, Sacramento City), chosen by the Colorado Rockies in 2007, and David Zancanaro (Del Campo), selected by the A’s in 1990; outfielders Andy Finlay (Burbank), taken by the Atlanta Braves in 1967, Mike Ondina (Cordova), chosen by the Chicago White Sox in 1972, Tim Wheeler (El Camino, Sacramento State), drafted by the Rockies in 2009, and Derek Hill (Elk Grove), selected by the Tigers in 2014; and shortstop Joel Bishop (McClatchy), selected by the Boston Red Sox in 1972.

▪ There have been only two area community college players picked in the past four drafts: right-hander Andrew Cooper (Sierra), taken in the 12th round by the Washington Nationals in 2013; and outfielder Jared James (Sacramento City), selected in the 30th round by the Braves last year.

▪ Sac State has had 65 players selected in the draft, and UCD has had 42. The first player drafted from Sac State was left-hander Spider Thomas (Winters) in the sixth round by the Red Sox in 1965. From UCD, the first was outfielder Gary Schlagenhauf by the Kansas City Royals in the 33rd round in 1970.

This story was originally published June 13, 2015 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Area baseball beat: Sacramento State, UC Davis lead area in draft picks."