Romero Headlines Record-Setting Draft Class June 9, 2005 – Fullerton, Calif
The No. 6 national seed Cal State Fullerton baseball team produced a school-record
14 draftees in this year’s Major League Baseball Amatuer Draft held
over two days in Chicago, Illinois. This year’s squad surpassed
the 1984 Titan team that saw 13 student-athletes selected.
The 2005 class featured the Titans’ tenth No. 1 draft pick in the
program’s history in junior-left handed pitcher Ricky Romero. Romero
was the sixth player chosen overall by the Toronto Blue Jays, one selection
before fellow Big West Conference player Troy Tulowitzki (Long Beach State)
was selected seventh overall. Romero joins a fraternity of Titan first-rounders
including: Tim Wallach (1979), Bob Caffrey (1984), Mike Harkey (1987),
Brent Mayne (1989), Phil Nevin (1992), Dante Powell (1994), Mark Kotsay
(1996), Aaron Rowand (1998), Adam Johnson (2000) and Chad Cordero (2003).
Romero was followed by the 106th player chosen, right fielder Sergio Pedroza,
who was taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third round. Center Fielder
Bobby Andrews was taken by the Baltimore Orioles in the seventh round
(213), with left-handed pitcher Ryan Schreppel right on his tail in the
eighth round, the 231st overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Infielders
Ronnie Prettyman (Seattle, 10th round, 293) and Neil Walton (Tampa Bay,
16th round, 478) were the final two Fullerton players taken before the
organizations broke for the day.
Day Two saw eight more Titans selected, making this years draft class
the largest group of players ever taken off of any one Titan squad. Scott
Sarver (Houston Astros, 21st round, 644 overall), Danny Dorn (Tampa Bay
Devil Rays, 23rd round, 688 overall), John Curtis (Cleveland Indians,
29th round, 874 overall), Justin Turner (New York Yankees, 29th round,
889 overall), Trevor Mortensen (Cleveland Indians, 33rd round, 994 overall),
Felipe Garcia (New York Yankees, 34th round, 1039 overall), Brett Pill
(New York Yankees, 45th round, 1362 overall), and Blake Davis (Cleveland
Indians, 46th round, 1377 overall) were all taken on the second day that
concluded the final 32 rounds of the draft.
Cal State Fullerton looks to this weekend as they host Arizona State in
a best-of-three Super Regional held at Goodwin Field. The winner of the
weekend series will advance to Omaha, Nebraska for the College World Series.
This weekend’s games are scheduled for 7:06 pm first pitch on Friday
night, a 4:06 pm start time on Saturday and a 3:06 pm start on Sunday
if necessary. All games will be produced by ESPNU, with both Friday and
Saturday’s games likely to be aired on ESPN2.
