MLB taps 6 more The phones of six more local products rang yesterday morning as Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft completed its two-day run, with a total of 11 Hawaii players getting a call.
with Hawaii ties
UH sees 4 recruits drafted,
including 2 from the islesBy Jason Kaneshiro and Al Chase
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.com
achase@starbulletin.comWaianae pitcher Dane Awana was the first local player taken in yesterday's 28-round phase, joining the five Hawaii players taken Tuesday.
Awana was selected in the 32nd round by the Seattle Mariners with the 970th pick of the draft. Molokai pitcher Keahi Rawlins went in the 36th round to Philadelphia. Mark Rodrigues, a Kauai graduate who pitched at Los Medanos Junior College in California this season, was picked by Oakland in the 37th round.
Hawaii catcher Grady Symonds was tabbed by the world champion Arizona Diamondbacks in the 39th round. The Boston Red Sox selected Mid-Pacific catcher Matthew Inouye in the 41st round with the 1,228th pick.
Campbell graduate Chad Bailey was taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 47th round. Bailey pitched at North Idaho College this spring.
Four UH recruits were among the 1,482 players taken over the draft's 50 rounds. Nick Ponomarenko, a pitcher at Cuesta College, was picked by Montreal in the 38th round yesterday. Rawlins and Inouye have also signed with UH, as has Justin Azze, who was drafted by the Expos on Tuesday.
"I'm happy for them. It's a neat thing to tell people you've been drafted," Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said. "Where they were drafted means we are excited to be able to work with them over the next three or four years. We are devoted to working together with them so after their junior year they can be drafted in the top five or six rounds."
Awana, a left-handed pitcher, was awaiting a call from the Mariners last night to start contract negotiations. His mother, Janelle, said the family was more excited than Dane when word of his selection arrived.
"We're really excited because this was his dream since he was age 5 and hitting off the tee," Janelle Awana said. "When he was 8 he decided he wanted to be a pitcher."
Awana is also considering three junior colleges -- Santa Ana, Santa Barbara and Saddleback -- if he chooses to delay his professional career.
Rawlins said he decided he would join the UH program when he wasn't taken in Tuesday's early rounds. He finally got the call from the Phillies at about 9 a.m. yesterday.
Although he hoped to go higher in the draft, the outcome cleared up his immediate future.
"All the pressure is off now that it's done," Rawlins said. "Just to know I had an opportunity to go was exciting."
Inouye, who led Mid-Pacific to the state championship this spring, said he was surprised by being drafted. He is the second MPI player drafted by the Red Sox in as many years. Current UH pitcher Ricky Bauer was picked by Boston in the 39th round last year.
"I have to wait and see, but most likely I'm probably going to UH," Inouye said.
Rawlins and Inouye are scheduled to play for the Hawaii Island Movers this summer.
Rodrigues woke up thinking he might have been passed over.
"I didn't think they were going to call because it was 9 a.m. when I woke up and the draft started at 6 a.m. But about 9:20 the A's called and said they would do the same thing Montreal did last year, make me a draft and follow," said Rodrigues, who was 7-3 with a 3.93 earned run average in 78 1/3 innings this year.
Being a draft and follow -- Oakland retains rights to Rodrigues until one week prior to the 2003 draft -- fits into his plans.
"I want to go back to school anyway and put on some weight, then I'm thinking about coming to UH for a year," said Rodrigues, who added 20 pounds to his 6-foot-2 1/2 frame this past year.
Symonds is the surprise pick of the draft. He only played in 19 games for the 'Bows, hitting .179 (7-for-39), but had one memorable moment when he hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning March 3 to tie the score against UC Irvine. UH won in the 12th inning, 6-5.
"When I got back home, I found out the Diamondbacks wanted to work me out. I guess I left a pretty good impression when I played at Triton Junior College my freshman and sophomore years. I had a good workout," Symonds said.
"I've pretty much decided that I will sign. That will take care of my summer."
Said Trapasso: "I'm happy for Grady. He's an awesome kid."
Trapasso said he had a good feeling Ponomarenko would get drafted.
"He was in that range where there is no telling what might happen," Trapasso said. "The thing that is more exciting is he was a player who hadn't even started pitching at this time a year ago. He throws in the mid- to-high 80s and has a power breaking ball."
Bailey recovered from the letdown of not being drafted last year after a strong senior season at Campbell by striking out 56 batters in 43 1/3 innings for North Idaho.
"That was a disappointment, but I had to grow and get better," he said. "I'm a better pitcher now, I got stronger and increased my fastball."
Bailey said going to junior college gave him an opportunity to develop. Listed at 6-5, 190 pounds last year, Bailey has filled out to 220.
Although the Dodgers selected Bailey as a draft-and-follow candidate, he won't return to North Idaho. The school cut its baseball program this spring, but Bailey said the Dodgers are working on finding him another program.
Draftees with local ties
Name, school Position Team Round Pick Shane Komine, Nebraska/Kalani RHP Oakland Athletics 9 278 Kainoa Obrey, Brigham Young/Iolani 3B Kansas City Royals 11 318 Reid Santos, Saddleback CC/Castle LHP Cleveland Indians 13 394 Kila Ka'aihue, Iolani 1B Kansas City Royals 15 438 Duke Sardinha, Pepperdine/Kamehameha 3B Colorado Rockies 19 561 Dane Awana, Waianae LHP Seattle Mariners 32 970 Keahi Rawlins, Molokai RHP Philadelphia Phillies 36 1,079 Mark Rodrigues, Los Medanos JC/Kauai RHP Oakland Athletics 37 1,118 Grady Symonds, Hawaii C Arizona Diamondbacks 39 1,179 Matthew Inouye, Mid-Pacific C Boston Red Sox 41 1,228 Chad Bailey, North Idaho JC/Campbell LHP Los Angeles Dodgers 47 1,398 University of Hawaii recruits
Name, school Position Team Round Pick Justin Azze, Orange Coast CC RHP Montreal Expos 10 287 Nick Ponomarenko, Cuesta College RHP Montreal Expos 38 1,127
