Titan Pitcher Set to Make Twin Killing

Cal State Fullerton pitcher Adam Johnson expected to be selected in the first round of Monday’s major league baseball draft, but being taken by the Minnesota Twins as the No. 2 overall selection came as something of a surprise.

“I feel great about it,” Johnson said.

Apparently, a reluctance on the part of Palmdale High pitcher Matt Harrington to accept the Twins’ bonus offer opened the door for Johnson, who is expected to receive about $2.5 million when he signs.

“We’re excited to get Adam,” said Mike Radcliff, the Twins’ scouting director. “We expect him to be a major league starter and to progress at a rapid rate. We think it’s a great opportunity for him. We need pitching.”

Johnson’s teammate at Fullerton, junior pitcher Ronnie Corona, was taken in the sixth round, also by Minnesota. Titan relief pitcher Mike Nunez was picked in the 17th round by the New York Mets.

Several former Orange County high school players were selected on the first day of the draft. David Parrish, son of former major leaguer Lance Parrish, was picked by the New York Yankees in the first round. Parrish was a junior catcher at Michigan and played at Esperanza High.

UCLA first baseman Garrett Atkins, who played at University High, was taken by Colorado in the fifth round. Louisiana State catcher Brad Cresse, who played at Los Alamitos High and Marina, was selected in the fifth round by Arizona.

Texas pitcher Phil Seibel, who played at Cypress High, was picked in the eighth round by Montreal. His teammate at Texas, infielder Tommy Nicholson, was selected in the 11th round by the Chicago White Sox. Nicholson played at Esperanza High.

Jonathan Leicester, a University of Memphis pitcher from Huntington Beach, went in the 11th round to the Chicago Cubs. Chad Elliott, a Sacramento State pitcher from Yorba Linda, was taken in the 20th round by the New York Mets.

Jonathan Lorenzen, a pitcher for Katella, was the first Orange County high school player selected, taken in the 14th round by the Dodgers.

The Twins had previously drafted Johnson in the 25th round after his senior year at Torrey Pines High.

“We’ve watched him every year since then,” Radcliff said, “and he pitched himself into this selection with his performance this season. We had pursued Harrington, but the bottom line is that he made himself unsignable by us because of his demands.”

Johnson, 7-4 with a 2.72 earned-run average, struck out 166 batters in 119 1/3 innings this season and walked only 28. Johnson set school records for strikeouts in a career and season.

He became the first pitcher and first college player chosen after the Florida Marlins took first baseman Adrian Gonzalez of Chula Vista Eastlake High. Johnson was Fullerton’s highest selection since Phil Nevin was the No. 1 choice in 1992 by Houston. Mark Kotsay was the ninth selection overall in 1996 by Florida.

Johnson’s attorney, Jeff Moorad, said he expects Johnson to sign with the Twins in the next two weeks. Radcliff indicated Johnson probably would be assigned to the Twins’ Class-A team in Ft. Myers of the Florida State League.

Parrish said he was happy to be selected by the Yankees, who also took him in the 10th round out of high school in 1997.

“Turning down New York the first time out of high school to spend three years in college is one of the better decisions that I made,” Parrish said. “I learned a lot at school, both on and off the field, and everything has worked out like I had hoped.”

Atkins said he expected to be taken between the third and fifth rounds.

“I’m extremely thrilled to go to the Rockies,” said Atkins, who hit .352 with 17 home runs and 72 RBIs for the Bruins this season. “They have a great organization and their minor league teams are mostly on the West Coast. I’m pretty sure I’ll sign.”

It was Lorenzen’s 92-mph fastball that apparently enticed the Dodgers to take him in the 14th round. “I was excited to get drafted by any team,” Lorenzen said. “I really didn’t think I would get drafted.”

Two other Orange County pitchers, John Hudgins of Mission Viejo and Mike Davern of Brea Olinda, were selected lower than they might have expected because they indicated they were probably headed to college.

Hudgins, the county strikeout leader with 135 in 82 2/3 innings, was taken by Oakland in the 20th round. Hudgins, who has signed with Stanford, said the Athletics have indicated they will make a sizable offer despite drafting him late.

“I’ll wait and see what kind of offer they give me,” he said, “but I’ll most likely wind up at Stanford.”

Davern, tabbed as a first-rounder for much of the season, wasn’t surprised when his phone remained quiet round after round.

“I told a lot of clubs I was going to college,” said Davern, who has signed with UCLA. “I could have gotten drafted a lot higher for an amount of money I didn’t want.”

Davern wasn’t selected until the 18th round, but he did get picked by his favorite team, the Atlanta Braves. Davern said he will try to impress Brave scouts this summer in the Connie Mack League.

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Staff writers Ben Bolch and Paul McLeod contributed to this story.