Ward Rejects Mets’ Offer; He’ll Attend Fullerton

Jon Ward, a former Huntington Beach High School pitcher who was the 30th overall pick in the June draft, said Thursday he has turned down a $300,000 offer from the New York Mets and will enroll at Cal State Fullerton.

The Mets still have until Monday--the first day of the fall semester at Fullerton--to sign Ward, but Ward moved into a school dormitory and purchased books Thursday and said he will stick with his decision.

“I don’t want to go back and forth every day,” said Ward, a 6-foot-6, 205-pound right-hander. “I figured I could be a higher pick and could double my money after college if I keep progressing like I have. And people say it’s harder to go back to school once you skip a few years.”

Ward, a Times Orange County first-team selection, said he consulted former Titan third baseman Phil Nevin, who was selected first in the June draft by the Houston Astros, former Stanford outfielder Jeff Hammonds, the fourth overall pick by the Baltimore Orioles, and Titan outfielder Dante Powell, who turned down $425,000 from the Toronto Blue Jays last summer to enroll at Fullerton, before making his decision.

He also was impressed with the Titans’ second-place finish in the College World Series in June. “It proved they had a good program and a good coaching staff,” Ward said.

“So far it’s great news, but it’s not over yet,” said George Horton, Fullerton associate head coach. “We have every reason to believe he’s coming to school and those are definitely his intentions now unless they (the Mets) change his mind, which I’m sure they’ll try to do.”

The Mets’ initial offer this summer was a $140,000 signing bonus and $25,000 for school, but Ward said they have made three or four more offers in August, the last one $300,000.

“But that wasn’t enough to persuade me not to go to college,” Ward said.

Horton said Ward, who went 9-1 with a 1.23 earned-run average and 109 strikeouts at Huntington Beach last season, has the potential to move right into Fullerton’s starting rotation. Combined with returning starters Mike Parisi and Derek Fahs, Ward could help give the Titans a potent 1-2-3 pitching punch.

Ward’s fastball has been clocked between 86-90 m.p.h., he has a split-fingered fastball and curve. He’s also a good all-around athlete and defensive player.

“We’ve made no promises, but we think he’s going to pitch a lot of quality innings next season,” Horton said. “The day will come when he’ll be a dominant pitcher on the college level.”