|
|
|
John Zant: College Home Run King May Play for the Foresters |
|
|
|
By John Zant
|
|
Wednesday, June 06 2007 |
Kyle Russell, the home run king of college baseball, has said he wants to play for the Santa Barbara Foresters this summer. But there's one thing that could stand in his way -- a pile of money.
The major league amateur draft will be conducted today (11 a.m. on ESPN2), and if Russell is selected in the first round, the Texas outfielder could face an offer he cannot refuse to go pro. Although he is a sophomore, Russell is draft eligible because he's 21 years old.
Russell shattered the Texas record with 28 home runs this season. He hit the ball out of the park once every 7.8 at-bats -- an 80-homer pace in a 162-game season. But he also struck out at more than twice that rate, and some scouts are dubious of his prospects against major-league pitching. His power is alluring, however, and it may prompt a club to bet the $1.5 million that it would take to sign him.
"He's got tremendous opposite-field power," Foresters manager Bill Pintard said.
If Russell puts off signing, the semi-pro Foresters will be happy to welcome the 6-foot-5, 185-pounder to Santa Barbara. His college season ended this week when the Longhorns were eliminated by UC Irvine in the NCAA Regionals. Other Texas players expected to join the Foresters are shortstop Josh Prince and pitcher Drew Bishop. UCI pitcher Wes Etheridge, who got the save that advanced the Anteaters in the NCAA tournament, also is Santa Barbara-bound.
The Foresters took the field as the defending National Baseball Congress champions last weekend, and they got the 2007 season off to a promising start. They swept a three-game series over the visiting Oceanside Waves by scores of 6-2, 10-4 and 12-3. Twelve of their 26 hits went for extra bases. Catcher Scott Clement had a home run and two doubles, and right fielder Devin Shepherd stroked three doubles.
All those big hits came with a sharp, solid sound. One of the attractions of Foresters' games is that they play with wooden bats like the big leaguers.
Shepherd came to the Foresters from the University of Oklahoma. The former Oxnard prep standout is looking to transfer to a junior college to become draft eligible next year. Other Santa Barbara outfielders include Jon DeAlba, out of Dos Pueblos High and SBCC; Kenny Williams Jr. of Wichita State, and Roberto Lopez of USC.
Williams' father, Ken Sr., is the general manager of the Chicago White Sox.
The Foresters play their league opener at 5 p.m. today against the California Oaks at UCSB's Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. USC's Nate Klein, a Dos Pueblos grad, will start on the mound.
The California Collegiate League includes the Foresters, the Oaks (from Thousand Oaks), the Santa Maria Indians, the San Luis Obispo Blues, the Monterey Bay Sox and the Clovis Outlaws.
Lots of local players will be in action at 5 p.m. Friday when the Foresters take on Teddy Warrecker's Santa Barbara Cowboys in a friendly game. The Foresters will return to league play at San Luis Obispo on Saturday night, and at 1 p.m. Sunday they will host the Blues.
All but two of the Foresters' 31 home games will be at UCSB. On July 3, they will host the Oaks at Carpinteria High, and their annual July 4 game at Pershing Park will be against the Santa Maria Indians.
Pintard has been keeping track of former Foresters who have made it to the big leagues, and the total reached 22 this week when the Colorado Rockies called up outfielder Sean Barker. He replaces the slumping veteran Steve Finley on the roster. Finley, a two-time All-Star, was batting .181. Another local outfielder, Ryan Spilborghs -- from Santa Barbara High and UCSB as well as the Foresters -- also is playing for the Rockies. |
|
|
