Hamelin Practices Batting With Royals, Then Signs

Bobby Hamelin of Rancho Santiago College, who set state community-college records with 31 home runs and 105 runs-batted in this season, has a signed a contract with the Kansas City Royals, Rancho Santiago Coach Don Sneddon said Monday.

Hamelin, a left-handed-hitting first baseman, took batting practice with the Royals at Anaheim Stadium Friday afternoon and signed a contract at 1 a.m. Saturday.

Hamelin was picked in an early round, but neither the Royals nor Hamelin would say which one. Hamelin is currently at Millington, Tenn., trying out for the U.S. Olympic team. If he makes the team, he will report to the Instructional League in Arizona in late September, after the Olympics, Sneddon said. Hamelin could not be reached Monday.

If Hamelin doesn’t make the Olympic team, he is expected to report to the Royals’ Class-A team at Eugene, Ore., in the Northwest League in late June.

Hamelin played at Irvine High School then accepted a scholarship to UCLA, where he played as a freshman in 1987. He left UCLA and transferred to Rancho Santiago this spring.

He hit .514 in 48 games, leading Rancho Santiago to the Orange Empire Conference championship. He was voted most valuable player in the conference and was selected as the first team all-state first baseman as well as the Southern California player of the year.

Hamelin had signed in mid-May a national letter of intent to attend the University of Texas.

Mike Gonzales, who hit 10 home runs and had 60 RBIs for Rancho Santiago, has signed a national letter of intent to attend San Jose State next fall, Sneddon said.

Gonzales, a sophomore second baseman from El Toro High School, hit .369 and was voted an all-Orange Empire Conference first-team infielder.

Gonzales will join Rancho Santiago pitcher David Tellers, who signed with San Jose State last month.