Eager for the draft?

Some Cal Poly baseball fans were caught off guard by today’s feature on ace Thomas Eager.
Not by the angle about his emotional approach on the mound, but by the fact that the Mustangs’ emerging ace could be gone after this season.
While Eager is only a sophomore, in terms of eligibility, the right-hander is eligible for the draft this summer. Eager, 21, redshirted in 2005 as a true freshman and is technically in his third year with the program.
According to Major League Baseball rules, any amateur who is 21 or older within 45 days of that year’s draft is eligible for selection.
In most cases, four-year collegiate players aren’t eligible until their junior or senior seasons. Graduating high school seniors and community college players are also eligible for the draft.
So while many Mustangs fans figured Cal Poly’s current pitching staff is built for the future, starting two freshmen and a sophomore this weekend at UC Irvine, the green-and-gold rotation could lose another underclassman to the draft this June.
Eager said he won’t make any decisions until after the draft, but it’s already evident in the eyes of the coaches and scouts that he’s ready for the next level thanks to a low-90s fastball and lethal late-breaking slider.
If Eager does leave Cal Poly early, he would be the eighth underclassman in three years to do so.
And let’s not forget the Mustangs are in danger of losing their top hitter as well, as junior outfielder Grant Desme – on pace to break Cal Poly season records for home runs and RBI – is eligible for the draft this year as well.
4/20 UPDATE: Baseball America had an interesting blog update on Desme this week, where one coach called Demse “the best hitter we’ve seen all year, bar none."