Local players go in Major League draft

The opportunity to return to college did not diminish the intensity of Tuesday’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft for Josh Bradbury and Justin Cassel.

Cassel, a junior starting pitcher from UC Irvine, was selected in the seventh round by the Chicago White Sox.

Bradbury, a freshman right fielder from Orange Coast College, was the eighth-round pick of the Texas Rangers.

UCI junior closer Blair Erickson was selected in the 10th round by the St. Louis Cardinals, while OCC sophomore pitcher Kyle Harper went in the 17th round to the Cleveland Indians.

UCI senior pitcher Glenn Swanson signed as a draft-and-follow with the Texas Rangers, who chose him in the 49th round in 2005.

Former UCI pitcher David Huff, who played this season at UCLA, was chosen 39th overall by Cleveland.

Cassel and Bradbury had their eyes fixed to the computer, Tuesday, watching the proceedings unfold. The anticipation and tension was heightened as the rounds went on.

Bradbury, who starred at Corona del Mar High, was accompanied by friends, family and pizza. After being selected, calls of congratulations came pouring in and his friend and former Sea Kings teammate Parker Ferguson rushed to purchase Rangers hats for everyone.

“I was starting to get nervous around the sixth round,” said Bradbury, who told the 15 to 20 teams who contacted him that he would sign if chosen in the first 10 rounds.

Leaving came a year early for Bradbury. He signed with UNLV out of high school, but transferred to Loyola Marymount soon thereafter. He sat out last season after undergoing surgery on his right (throwing) labrum, then transferred to OCC, where he thought he might play for two seasons.

“I’m excited it all came together,” Bradbury said.

What brought it all together was a .364 batting average, 12 home runs and 35 RBIs for the 238th player selected. He played third base most of the season, but was shifted to right field, where the Rangers believe his future lies.

Orange Coast Coach John Altobelli said many of his peers share his belief that Bradbury was one of the best pure hitters among the state’s community college players.

“He left a four-year university for what he wanted to do ? play community college baseball,” Altobelli said. “Talking to his dad [after the draft], was like talking to a dad who just had a baby.”

Cassel, the Friday-night starter who helped lead the Anteaters to their second NCAA Regional berth in three seasons, was excited when the White Sox made him the 225th overall pick. Cassel, who was drafted in the 30th round out of Chatsworth High, planned on his junior season being his last at UCI.

Prior to the selection, Cassel was more nervous then he gets on the mound. Not even a call from the White Sox before picking him could ease the nerves.

“They said ‘Hey do you still want to sign if we pick you? When they hung up the phone, it wasn’t for sure,” Cassel, 7-9 with a 3.43 earned-run average in 134 innings this season, said. “When my name appeared on the computer, that’s when it was the real deal.”

Cassel and the five other Anteater players he lives with burst with excitement when his name was displayed. He received another call came from the White Sox and happily thanked the organization for the opportunity.

“At this point in my career, I’m ready,” Cassel said. “They found I’m pretty durable and I know how to pitch. “I learned through my career to throw a lot of strikes,” Cassell saidGetting drafted hardly made him special among his three other siblings. His brother Matt is a backup quarterback with the New England Patriots and brother Jack is a pitcher for the San Diego Padres’ Triple-A affiliate. Sister Amanda is pre-med major at Long Beach State.

UCI Coach Dave Serrano said Erickson, who has earned several All-American laurels while compiling a school-record 40 saves, is expected to return for his senior season.

Erickson went 5-0 with 13 saves and a 2.06 ERA, holding opponents to a staff-low .229 batting average,

“He is disappointed and we are disappointed in how low he went,” said Serrano, who noted Erickson’s stock slipped along with his velocity.

Serrano said Erickson was shooting for the top four rounds after being projected by some as going as high as the first or second round.

Harper, who underwent a second Tommy John elbow surgery in March, pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings this season, striking out eight. He has signed with Long Beach State and Altobelli said he would likely stick with plans to play for the 49ers after rehabilitating his pitching arm.

Swanson, UCI’s career leader with 298 strikeouts, went 9-4 with a 2.86 ERA in his final collegiate season. The left-hander, who fanned 14 in a no-hitter April 25 against the University of San Diego, bounced back from elbow problems that sidelined him in 2005.

Huff, who competed for UCI as a freshmen and Cypress College as a sophomore, went 7-4 with a 2.98 ERA this season for the Bruins.dpt.07-bradbury-1-BPhotoInfo0F1RNHCD20060607iz6ql3ncDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)Josh Bradbury, a Corona del Mar High product who starred at OCC this season, was picked Tuesday in the eighth round of the Major League draft by Texas.