Orioles Go for a Rice Sandwich

In an amateur baseball draft stocked with strong high school pitchers, Scott Rice of Royal High was one of the first selected, going to the Baltimore Orioles with the 44th overall pick Wednesday.

Rice wasn’t a first-round choice, but he didn’t go in the second round either. He was a so-called “sandwich” pick, one of 21 slots awarded after the first round to teams as compensation for losing free agents.

Rice has signed a letter of intent with Arkansas, where the pitching coach is Tim Montez, a former assistant at Cal State Northridge, UC Santa Barbara and Pepperdine.

“I can’t lose,” Rice said. “I’d love to go to college, but I want to play pro baseball. If I do decide to sign, I’ll go to school during the off-season.”

Gil Kubski, the Orioles’ scout who recommended drafting Rice, believes the 6-foot-6 left-hander could move quickly through the minor leagues.

“He has a very large upside,” Kubski said.

There were 19 area players drafted, led by left-hander Barry Zito, formerly of Pierce College, who was chosen by the Oakland Athletics with the ninth pick. Zito is 12-2 with 149 strikeouts in 104 innings for USC, which is playing in an NCAA Super Regional at Stanford.

Zito (6-4, 205) was a third-round pick of the Texas Rangers last year, but turned down a signing bonus of about $350,000. Patience paid off because Zito is certain to command more than $1 million from the Athletics.

The two high school players ranked highest in Baseball America magazine’s draft preview fell hard because teams were unwilling to meet their demand of a first-round signing bonus.

Shortstop Kevin Howard of Westlake High was the 22nd-round pick of the San Diego Padres and right-handed pitcher Kameron Loe of Granada Hills High was not selected.

“There is so much benefit in going to school,” said Patricia Howard, Kevin’s mother. “He’ll have a [pro career] eventually.”

Twenty-two rounds of the two-day draft were completed Wednesday. Among the surprise picks was pitcher Dayle Campbell, a 6-7 right-hander from Pierce who has not pitched in an organized game.

However, Campbell, a converted outfielder who was ineligible this season, has been clocked as fast as 97 mph in the bullpen. The Detroit Tigers tabbed him in the fifth round.

“This guy may have the best pure arm in the draft,” said Greg Smith, the Tigers’ scouting director.

Another surprise was outfielder Larry Brown of San Fernando High, an unpolished athlete better known for his football prowess. Brown was taken by the Seattle Mariners in the 12th round.

Outfielder Chris Testa of Palmdale High was the highest pick among area position players. Informed by scout Bill Hughes of the Colorado Rockies that her son was taken in the fifth round, Testa’s mother Carla raced to the high school to break the news.

“I’m kind of shocked,” Testa said. “Right now, I’m enjoying the moment chillin’ with my friends.”

Although Testa has a scholarship to Cal State Northridge, he is open to an offer by the Rockies. “I’m signable but I want to weigh my options,” he said.

The St. Louis Cardinals, notorious for drafting speedy switch-hitters, grabbed a Pierce outfielder in that mold in the seventh round. Covelli Crisp, who batted .391 with 26 stolen bases, will be converted to second base, said area scout Chuck Fick of the Cardinals.

Two Cal State Northridge players and two former Matadors who transferred when the school temporarily dropped baseball in 1997 were taken.

Outfielder Terrmel Sledge of Long Beach State, a freshman All-American at Northridge in ’97 and Kennedy High product, was an eighth-round pick of the Seattle Mariners.

Catcher Jeremy Sickles of Northridge was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 10th round, and outfielder Danny Phillips, from Pierce and Chatsworth High, was a 15th-round pick of the Rockies.

Outfielder-third baseman John Wilson, who redshirted at Northridge and is now at Kentucky, was chosen by the Minnesota Twins in the 15th round.

John Puccinelli, a Notre Dame High third baseman, made it clear to scouts he wanted to sign even though he committed to Santa Clara. He was taken in the ninth round by the San Diego Padres.

“He used to come to me and say, ‘If we move to the Dominican Republic, I can sign when I’m 16,’ ” said Pat Puccinelli, John’s father and an associate scout with the Montreal Expos.

Catcher Tony Cicero of Cleveland High will choose between Moorpark College and the Athletics, who took him in the 15th round.

“I think I’m ready,” said Cicero, considered the top defensive catcher in the area. “I think they believe in me and I believe in myself.”

Michael Falco, who hit 14 home runs for Agoura High, was picked by the Texas Rangers and shortstop Wes Rasmussen of Moorpark High was tabbed by the Atlanta Braves, both in the 21st round.

The Rangers selected Noah Lowry of Ventura College in the 19th round, one round later than catcher Robert Avila of the Master’s College went to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Matt Riordan and Justin Martin were drafted after their junior years in college. Riordan, a center fielder from Westlake High and Loyola Marymount, was taken in the 14th round by the Orioles and Martin, a second baseman from El Camino Real and Nevada, was picked by the Pirates in the 16th round.

Kubski, who began the day by informing Rice he was drafted by the Orioles, also was delighted to get Riordan.

“Matt says he wants to sign and we will give him the opportunity,” Kubski said.

Kubski wasn’t the only scout enthralled by Rice.

“The Orioles got a good one,” said a scout with another team. “I really wanted him. He could be throwing 95 miles per hour in a few years.”

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REGIONAL DRAFT LIST

Area players selected in first 22 rounds of the amateur baseball draft:

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Name Pos. School(s) Round Team Barry Zito LHP USC, Pierce 1st (9) Oakland Scott Rice LHP Royal High Comp (44) Baltimore Dayle Campbell RHP Pierce 5th (147) Detroit Chris Testa OF Palmdale High 5th (160) Colorado Covelli Crisp OF Pierce 7th (222) St. Louis Terrmel Sledge OF Long Beach St., CSUN 8th (245) Seattle John Puccinelli 3B Notre Dame High 9th (292) San Diego Jeremy Sickles C CS Northridge 10th (302) Pittsburgh Larry Brown OF San Fernando High 12th (365) Seattle Matt Riordan OF LMU, Westlake High 14th (427) Baltimore John Wilson 3B Kentucky,Baptist 15th (449) Minnesota CSUN, L.A. Baptist Tony Cicero C Cleveland High 15th (453) Oakland Danny Phillips OF CS Northridge 15th (460) Colorado Justin Martin 2B Nevada, 16th (482) Pittsburgh El Camino Real High Robert Avila C Master’s College 18th (546) Philadelphia Noah Lowry LHP Ventura College, 19th (585) Texas Nordhoff High Michael Falco OF Agoura High 21st (645) Texas Wes Rasmussen SS Moorpark High 21st (654) Atlanta Kevin Howard SS Westlake High 22nd (682) San Diego

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