White Sox Select Long Beach State’s Liefer

The Chicago White Sox selected Jeff Liefer, a power-hitting third baseman at Long Beach State, with the 25th pick in the first round of major league baseball’s amateur draft Thursday.

Liefer led the 49ers in almost every offensive category, batting .354 with 13 home runs, 56 runs batted in and 63 runs. Liefer was chosen first-team All-Big West Conference and Baseball America named him to its All-American second-team.

He is the 49ers’ third first-round selection, but first position player. Liefer, also selected first team all-conference in 1993, holds all-time 49er records with 30 homers, 160 RBIs, 230 hits and 52 doubles.

Marina High catcher Craig Wilson was drafted in the second round by Toronto. Wilson, who has signed with UCLA, hit .492 with six home runs and 26 RBIs this season. He was a second-team All-Orange County selection last season.

Sunny Hills shortstop Josh Hochgesang was drafted in the 15th round by the New York Yankees. Hochgesang, who has signed with Stanford, hit .507 with 10 home runs and 24 RBIs this season.

The Oakland A’s chose Pepperdine outfielder David Newhan in the 17th round. Newhan, also a standout at Esperanza High and Cypress College, hit .367 with 11 homers, 48 RBIs and 25 stolen bases for the Waves. The Times Orange County selected Newhan honorable mention all-county.

The Dodgers selected left-handed pitcher David Yocum of Florida State with the 20th pick.

“I can’t be more excited than I am right now,” Yocum said. “It’s just been an unbelievable day. It’s something that I’m not going to forget for a long, long time.”

Yocum, a 6-1, 180-pound sophomore, was 12-2 with a 2.38 earned-run average in 17 starts for Florida State, which faces Oklahoma today in the College World Series at Omaha.

“Realistically, we didn’t think he would be available at the time of our pick,” said Terry Reynolds, Dodger scouting director. “We had him as one of the top couple of left-handed pitchers in the country.”

USC junior outfielder Geoff Jenkins, who led the Trojans into the College World Series, was the ninth player selected in the first round, going to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Co-player of the year in the Pacific 10, he hit .389 with 19 homers and 69 RBIs.

“Oh man, this is a big-time dream,” he said. “It’s everyone’s dream just to get drafted, but to be [at the College World Series] and get the call is outstanding. It’s everything a kid ever wants.”

Two other Trojans selected were shortstop Gabe Alvarez by the San Diego Padres in the second round and pitcher Ben Tucker by the San Francisco Giants in the eighth round.

The Dodgers selected right-handed pitcher Darrin Babineaux of Southwest Louisiana in the second round and Onan Masaoka, a left-hander from Waikea High in Hilo, Hawaii, in the third round.

The Dodgers also selected three Southland players--Canoga Park Faith Baptist outfielder Judd Granzow in the fourth round, Chatsworth first baseman Jon Tucker in the eighth round and Oxnard Rio Mesa infielder Eric Flores in the 16th round.

* Times staff writers Jason Reid and Chris Baker contributed to this story.