BASEBALL’S FREE-AGENT DRAFT : Mater Dei’s Carter Is Among Several Local Players Selected

The wait finally ended Tuesday for Mater Dei High School outfielder Cale Carter.

Carter was drafted in the 17th round by the Cleveland Indians Tuesday, the second day of the free-agent draft.

But Carter has signed a letter of intent with Stanford, where he plans to major in either medicine or computer science. He will graduate third in his class at Mater Dei with a 4.5 grade-point average.

“We’ll sit down and listen to what the Indians have to say, but Cale’s going to college,” said his father, Chuck. “He’s a little disappointed that he didn’t go higher (in the draft), but no one has ever signed right out of Mater Dei, and the scouts are all aware of that fact.”

Carter has been selected to play in the Sun Belt Classic high school all-star games beginning June 16 in Oklahoma and on a U.S. team that will make a goodwill tour of South Korea in September.

Other local players drafted:

--Pepperdine relief pitcher Steve Montgomery, a former Fountain Valley High standout, was taken in the third round by the St. Louis Cardinals.

--Pepperdine outfielder Chris Sheff, a former Laguna Hills High standout, taken in the 10th round by the expansion Florida Marlins.

--UC Irvine pitcher David Bladow, a former Canyon High and Cypress College player, selected in the 12th round by the Kansas City Royals.

Also drafted by the Royals was Cal State Fullerton second baseman Steve Sisco, in the 16th round.

--Cal State Fullerton pitcher Dan Naulty, a former Ocean View High player, selected in the 14th round by the Minnesota Twins.

--UCI first baseman Corey Parker, a former standout at Foothill and Orange Coast College, taken in the 15th round by the Detroit Tigers.

--Cal State Fullerton pitcher James Popoff, a senior right-hander, selected in the 27th round by the New York Mets.

--The Titans’ Yusef Ford, a left-handed pitcher who battled arm problems this year, taken in the 32nd round by the Chicago White Sox.

--Noe Najera and Sean Drinkwater, both members of Cypress College’s 1991 State championship team, also were drafted Cypress baseball Coach Scott Pickler said Tuesday. Drinkwater, a middle infielder from El Toro High, was drafted by the San Diego Padres and Najera, a pitcher from Norwalk High, was drafted by the Cleveland Indians, Pickler said.

--Kyle Evans from Katella High was drafted in the 30th round by the Dodgers.

Times staff writer Mike Reilley contributed to this report.