Monroe’s Nix to Sign With A’s : Baseball: Right-hander with 90-m.p.h fastball gets $97,500 bonus, heads to Phoenix in Rookie League.

Pitcher Wayne Nix of Monroe High has agreed to terms with the Oakland Athletics and will sign today for a $97,500 bonus, he said Thursday.

“We have agreed,” said Roger Nix, Wayne’s father. “I know of no reason for there to be any problems. As far as we’re concerned, it’s done.”

Nix, a right-hander who was the Athletics’ fourth-round pick at last week’s draft, said that signing a professional contract will fulfill one of his lifelong dreams.

“It still hasn’t sunk in yet,” he said.

Besides his 6-foot-6, 200-pound frame and 90 m.p.h. fastball, scouts were drawn to Nix because he said all along that he wanted to play pro baseball, rather than go to college. Unlike many top draft picks, Nix didn’t even ask the Athletics for a college scholarship to be built into his bonus.

“The only reason I would have wanted to go to college is to play baseball,” Nix said.

Nix will report to the Athletics’ camp in Phoenix on June 18. He will probably remain there for the rest of summer, pitching for the team’s Arizona Rookie League team.

Nix began the year as a unknown quantity, but he finished as one of the city’s top pitchers.

The Mid-Valley League player of the year, Nix was 11-2 with an 0.39 earned-run average. He struck out 143 batters and gave up 38 hits in 90 innings. He pitched two no-hitters and three one-hitters in his final five starts.

Another local draft pick, Mission College right-hander John Romero, has signed with the Angels and will report to Mesa, also in the Arizona Rookie League. Romero was selected in the 25th round.

“He has a live arm but some problems throwing strikes,” said Dale Sutherland, Angel scout. “I think that is correctable, and he can be a pretty good pitcher.”

Romero, 6 feet 2, 185 pounds, was drafted by the Seattle Mariners out of San Fernando High in 1993, but did not sign.

Mike Eby of Cal State Sacramento, a senior left-hander and the Western Athletic Conference West Division player of the year, has signed a free-agent contract with the Detroit Tigers. Eby, who played at Westlake High and Pierce College, will be assigned to Class-A Jamestown, N.Y. Eby was 9-4 with a 3.41 ERA for Sacramento.