At first glance, it might seem like the Major League Baseball
draft really took the luster off of UCLA head baseball coach John
Savage’s first recruiting class in Westwood. But even though
five of their top recruits from the 2006 baseball recruiting class
were drafted, the Bruins have come out relatively unscathed. The
only player lost to the professional ranks appears to be John
Drennen, a highly touted outfield prospect from San Diego, who
could have jumpstarted the Bruins’ rebuilding process. Savage
and his coaching staff were working under the suspicion that
Drennen would be a highly selected draft pick and forego a college
career. While Drennen was actually drafted below early projections
by the Cleveland Indians with the 33rd pick, he still chose the
minors over UCLA. “There shouldn’t be a lot of
negotiating,” Drennen told the San Diego Union Tribune.
“I’ll take whatever is slotted for where I was drafted.
This is the first step to the big leagues.” Star recruits Tim
Murphy, Brian Kirwan, David Huff and Ryan Babineau were all drafted
between the 11th and 19th rounds. As a result, they will likely
come to UCLA in hopes that they can fulfill their dreams of playing
professional baseball by starring in the collegiate ranks. Kirwan,
for one, stated earlier that unless the offer from the Minnesota
Twins is substantial, he is leaning heavily towards coming to
Westwood. Huff, a junior transfer, has been asked to participate in
the USA National Team Trials from June 27-30. Huff had a 4-2 record
with a 3.24 ERA last year at Cypress College. He will be one of 39
players vying for the 20 open spots on the roster.
DRAFT UPDATE: Junior first baseman Brett McMillan has signed
with the Washington Nationals after being drafted this year in the
36th round.