Cal State Fullerton’s Kotsay Could Go Quickly in Amateur Draft

Orrin Freeman, the Florida Marlins’ scouting director, can’t be sure Cal State Fullerton outfielder Mark Kotsay will be available when his team picks ninth in today’s amateur baseball draft.

But if he is, well . . .

“I think he’d look very good in teal,” Freeman said, referring to the Marlins’ team colors.

Pittsburgh has the No. 1 pick and is expected to choose Clemson right-handed pitcher Kris Benson, who led his team to the College World Series.

Pitchers are expected to dominate other selections early in the first round. Wichita State’s hard-throwing reliever Braden Looper is likely to be taken quickly, as is another Clemson pitcher, right-hander Bill Koch. Two high school pitchers, John Patterson of Orange, Texas, and Matt White of Waynesboro, Pa., also are regarded as potential early choices.

Among position players, San Diego State first baseman Travis Lee and Kentucky outfielder Chad Green might go ahead of Kotsay.

“Everything is an educated guess at this point,” said Freeman, a former assistant coach at USC. “But we think Mark is one of the guys who has a chance to get to us. We like him a whole bunch. We’ve followed his career since he was a freshman at Fullerton, and he’s the kind of player who grows on you.”

Freeman said he gave Kotsay a tour of the Marlins’ stadium and clubhouse when the Titans played a three-game, regular-season series at the University of Miami three weeks ago.

“I told him then that I think he’ll hit in the big leagues, and that if he doesn’t, I’m in the wrong job,” Freeman said.

Kotsay hit .404 over three seasons at Fullerton. He batted .422 with 21 home runs and 90 RBIs last year as a sophomore when he was college baseball’s player of the year and the Titans won the College World Series. Kotsay batted .402 with one more RBI and one fewer homer, playing five fewer games this past season. He walked 50 times, 11 more than in 1995. Freeman thinks it might be to Kotsay’s advantage to be signed by one of the newer teams, such as the Marlins. “We’re not stockpiled with players the way some of the other teams are,” he said.

Kotsay, who left Sunday for Millington, Tenn., for final tryouts for the Olympic team, said he had no strong feelings about which team drafts him. “Either way, I know I’ve got my work cut out,” he said. “I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work to reach my goal, no matter where it is.”

Kotsay said he expects to be chosen by Florida or Oakland, which has the 10th pick.

The St. Louis Cardinals’ director of major league personnel, Jerry Walker, watched Kotsay and Lee play in consecutive games in late April and was impressed by both. “Obviously, they’re both going to go very high,” he said. “Kotsay had a better day when I saw the two of them play, but it isn’t fair to base anything on one game. That’s why our scouts see players a lot, then cross-check them.”

St. Louis has the No. 3 pick after Pittsburgh and Minnesota. Toronto, Montreal, Detroit, San Francisco and Milwaukee follow St. Louis, in that order. The Giants reportedly are interested in getting a top college pitcher, but if that doesn’t work out, they might move to Kotsay with their No. 7 selection.

The Dodgers draft 21st, and the Angels, who used their No. 1 pick last year for Darin Erstad of Nebraska, don’t pick this year until the second round. The Angels lost their first-round selection to the New York Yankees as compensation for signing free agent Randy Velarde.

Fullerton catcher Brian Loyd is regarded as a probable second- or third-round choice because of his strength defensively. He hit .317 this season, .360 last year.

Other players regarded as early round selections are Rancho Santiago College third baseman Derek Baker, USC outfielder Jacque Jones, and pitchers Brent Billingsley of Fullerton and Marcus Jones and Ryan Brannan of Long Beach State. Things are more uncertain for Fullerton outfielder Jeremy Giambi and shortstop Jack Jones. Giambi probably gained some ground with scouts this season, hitting .396 with a team-leading 25 stolen bases, while Jones lost some when his batting average fell to .276 with a team-high 20 errors.

Several area high school players could be drafted in the early to middle rounds. That group includes Long Beach Poly outfielder Milton Bradley, Sonora High shortstop Ryan Owens, Katella High pitcher Joe Fraser and Long Beach Millikan pitcher Nick Bierbrodt. All are rated among the top 100 pro prospects by Baseball America.

Bradley and Baker have committed to attend Long Beach State, and Owens Fullerton, if they don’t sign pro contracts.

Another player who had committed to Fullerton, pitcher Mike Hughes of Fresno College, has decided to sign with the Angels, who retained his rights from an earlier supplemental draft.

Only the first-round selections are announced today.