It seems as though coach John Savage’s best-case scenario
of losing only one recruit to the major leagues is coming to
fruition.
Though five of the prized members of the UCLA baseball
recruiting class were selected in the first 20 rounds of the draft
Tuesday and Wednesday, only John Drennen is expected to forgo his
college eligibility and play in the professional ranks.
Drennen, a top-ranked outfielder from the San Diego area, was
selected as the 33rd pick in the supplemental first round by the
Cleveland Indians.
“I think it’s gone almost exactly as we thought it
would go,” Savage said.
“Drennen is going to sign. It’s too big of a draft
for him.”
Among the other Bruin recruits, pitcher and outfielder Tim
Murphy and pitcher Brian Kirwan were drafted in the 11th round,
catcher Ryan Babineau in the 13th round and pitcher David Huff in
the 19th round.
Savage expects all four to seriously weigh the options of going
pro, but ultimately thinks they will still come to Westwood because
of their relatively low selection status.
“They’re going to look very seriously at whether or
not to come to college,” said Savage. “We hope they
come to UCLA, and hope we can hold on to these guys.”
Hector Ambriz, who potentially would have been a highly touted
prospect had he chosen to leave school this year, was not
drafted.
Ambriz gave professional organizations strong indications that
he will remain at UCLA for at least one more year.
“The draft is all about signability,” Savage said.
“If it is known that college isn’t that important, the
draft status goes up. If college is the No. 1 priority, guys go
down in the draft.”
Savage is pleased to know that his ace pitcher will help rebuild
the program in the coming seasons.
“Ambriz is a big part of our future,” said
Savage.
As expected, catcher Chris Denove, outfielder Jarrad Page and
first baseman Brett McMillan were all selected.
Of the three underclassmen, both Denove and McMillan had
indicated that they would probably turn pro, while Page is still
undecided.
Denove and Page were picked in the 32nd round, while McMillan,
who many believed would be the first Bruin to be taken, fell to the
36th round.
“I think they were undervalued,” Savage said.
“Denove and Page didn’t have as good of years as they
had hoped this year.”
“But Page is a two-sport guy, and Denove is a starting
catcher on a Pac-10 team. Those teams got a couple of steals
selecting them as late as they did,” Savage continued.
While he’ll likely be losing the veteran leadership these
players have given his squad, Savage is pleased to see all three of
them have a chance to succeed at the next level.
“I’m happy for those guys. They deserved it, and I
hope they make the best of their opportunity.”