Padres Make 12 Picks On Day 1 Of MLB Draft
With the 23rd overall selection in the 1st round, San Diego chose left handed pitcher Nick Schmidt from the University of Arkansas. Schmidt finished his college career as the Razorbacks all-time strikeout leader (345) while ranking second with 52 career starts and third with 28 wins in 340.1 innings pitched. He also ranks second and tied for fifth in single-season strikeouts after striking out 145 in 2006 and 111 in 2007. Schmidt's 2007 season saw him rack up 11 wins, which is tied for the third-highest in school history. He also tied the school record with 124 innings pitched and finished with a .196 opponent batting average, which led the Southeastern Conference. He was the 2006 SEC Pitcher of the Year and a two-time first-team All-SEC selection by league coaches. Schmidt also earned back-to-back All-American honors as a first-team selection in 2006 and a second-team choice in 2007.
The Padres had five supplemental first round selections highlighted by C Mitch Canham of Oregon State University. The Lake Stevens, Wash. native was one of four returning starters for the defending national champion Beavers. Thus far in 2007, Canham is hitting .323 with nine home runs and 54 runs batted in as OSU continues to battle for a berth in the College World Series. Canham was tabbed a pre-season second team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and a third team choice by Baseball America.
In all, San Diego selected 12 players through the first five rounds on day one of the draft, including 10 collegians. Of the 10, none were taken from junior college programs, and only one from a non-Division I outfit. As Division I programs get ready for Super Regional play, three of the Padres draft selections are still fighting for a trip to the College World Series in Omaha.
In addition to Canham, three players with Oregon ties were selected on Thursday. Included in that group were Oregon State University standouts RHP Eddie Kunz (supplemental first round, 42nd overall, New York Mets) and SS Darwin Barney (4th round, 127th overall, Chicago Cubs). University of Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the fifth round, 168th overall, as an outfielder. The Ducks signal caller has not played competitive baseball since high school.
Below is a list of the Padres first 12 selections along with a list of players with Oregon ties that were selected in the 2007 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft on Thursday.
SAN DIEGO PADRES SELECTIONS
Round Player School Pos.
1 (23) Nick Schmidt University of Arkansas LHP
1A (40) Kellen Kulbacki James Madison University OF
1B (46) Drew Cumberland Pace (FL) High School SS
1C (57) Mitch Canham Oregon State University C
1D (63) Cory Luebke Ohio State University LHP
1E (64) Danny Payne Georgia Tech OF
2 (81) Eric Sogard Arizona State University 2B
2A (87) Brad Chalk Clemson University OF
3 (117) Tom Toledo Braulio Alonso (FL) HS RHP
4 (134) Corey Kluber Stetson University RHP
4A (147)Lance Zawadski Lee (TN) University SS
5 (177) Jeremy Hefner Oral Roberts University RHP
LOCAL SELECTIONS
Round Team Player School Pos.
1 (42) New York Mets Eddie Kunz Oregon State University RHP
4 (127) Chicago Cubs Darwin Barney Oregon State University SS
5 (168) Atlanta Dennis Dixon University of Oregon OF
The draft will conclude tomorrow with rounds 6-50 beginning at 8:30 a.m. The Emeralds open the season on the road against the Spokane Indians on Tuesday, June 19th. The Emeralds home opener is Sunday, June 24th at 4:05 p.m. versus the Boise Hawks.
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