CAL STATE FULLERTON PLAYERS

SHANE COSTA, OF

triple A, Kansas City Royals

Costa was the Big West Conference player of the year in 2003 and ranks among the top 10 in NCAA history after being hit by a pitch 57 times in his career. Costa, listed as the team’s eighth-best prospect by Baseball America, started the season with the Royals before being sent down on June 16 because Manager Buddy Bell was dissatisfied with his defense. Costa is off to a strong start at Omaha, batting .378 and slugging .730 in his first nine games. For the Royals, Costa was hitting .248 in 39 games, with four homers and 19 RBIs.

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ERASMO RAMIREZ, LHP

triple A, Texas Rangers

Ramirez, nicknamed “the Eraser,” pitched the 1998 season with Fullerton after pitching for Cal State Northridge from 1995 to ’97. Ramirez has spent parts of the last three seasons with the Rangers, mainly as a situational left-hander, and has an 8-4 record with a 4.01 ERA, walking only 19 batters in 107 2/3 innings. Sent to triple-A Oklahoma before this season, Ramirez is 4-1 with a 3.68 ERA and two saves. Ramirez was chosen by the Giants in the 11th round of the 1998 first-year player draft and was traded to Texas in July 2001.