OCC’s Allen chosen by Rockies

Sophomore left-hander Kyle Allen, the ace of Orange Coast College’s

pitching staff this season, was selected in the 32nd round -- No. 947

overall -- by the Colorado Rockies in the Major League Baseball

first-year player draft Wednesday.

Allen finished 2003 with a 3.35 ERA while going 6-5. The Trabuco

Hills High grad struck out 120 batters in just 99 1/3 innings,

including a school-record 18 in a 4-1 win against Riverside. Allen

tossed six complete games and collected two saves for the Pirates

(19-21-1, 8-16 in the Orange Empire Conference).

Allen has been accepted to Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston,

Idaho. The Warriors won the NAIA baseball championship this season.

“I don’t know what his exact plans are, but he will be successful

wherever he goes,” OCC Coach John Altobelli said. “I thought he would

have been drafted higher. He throws strikes and is savvy, which is

hard to teach. Kyle worked hard and had a great year.”

Allen joins Scott Beerer, a former standout at Newport Harbor High

and Coast who, who was drafted by the Rockies with the 47th pick

Tuesday. Beerer earned first-team All-American honors with Texas A&M;

this season.

Another Coast product, Ryan France, was chosen in the 17th round

(No. 512) by the Oakland Athletics. France played the past two

seasons at Chapman University, which won the NCAA Division III

championship this year.

France went 10-1 with a 1.38 ERA as the staff ace. He fanned a

school-record 100 batters in 110 2/3 innings while earning first-team

All-Big West Region and All-American honors.

Outfielder Brian Wahlbrink, who played two seasons at Coast,

completed his senior season at UC Riverside and signed with the San

Diego Padres Sunday, hours before the deadline for re-entry. He will

report to short-season in Eugene, Ore., June 17.