Day 2: Running MLB Draft blog

Tribune college beat writer Brian Milne is writing a running draft blog during the two-day MLB First-Year Player Draft. Here is Friday's live entry, which will be updated throughout the final 45 rounds scheduled for today:

Welcome to Day 2 of the draft. Today will be a little slower since the three main Cal Poly guys went yesterday in the first five rounds. All three were underclassmen who confirmed they will be forgoing their final years of eligibility at Cal Poly. The Mustangs have now lost 10 underclassmen in the past three drafts.

The three who have been wiped off the board: OF Grant Desme, RHP Evan Reed and RHP Thomas Eager.

There were two other selections that may hurt Cal Poly in the future. Two players who had already signed with Cal Poly were drafted yesterday as well. Cabrillo High left-handed pitcher Danny Duffy was taken by the Kansas City Royals with the 96th overall pick early in the third round. Fresno City College catcher Jameson Smith was drafted 10 picks later by the Florida Marlins. Both will likely go pro.

8 a.m. – Today’s draft, which begins shortly after 8 a.m., continues where Thursday left off with as many as 45 rounds taking place. The draft will conclude after all 30 teams have passed on a selection or after the final selection of the 50th round.

Who to look for locally: Kansas shortstop Erik Morrison, from Arroyo Grande. Oral Roberts right-handed pitcher Chance Chapman, from Templeton. There are a handful of Cal Poly guys that could get a sniff. LHP Grant Theophilus and OF Logan Schafer would be on my board, but neither player will probably garner much attention until next year. … One additional Cal Poly signee should go today in David Van Ostrand, younger brother of former Mustang Jimmy Van Ostrand. The younger VO played for Hancock and the SLO Blues.

There are some noteworthy players from outside the county who may pop up: Devin Lohman, for example, who has played for the SLO Blues and signed with the Big West’s Long Beach State. MLB has ditched the draft-and-follow rule, so that is expected to cut down on the number of prep and community college draft picks. A couple Hancock and Cuesta players could slide in there late.

11 a.m. – Finally a local player goes on the second day. Templeton’s Chance Chapman, a senior right-handed pitcher at Oral Roberts, was selected with the 263rd overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the eighth round. The 6-4, 210-pounder also pitched locally at Cuesta College.

Noon – Morrison still hasn't gone. The Arroyo Grande prospect, who was a junior shorstop at Kansas this past season, was projected to go as high as the seventh round, according to Kansas head coach Ritch Price (formerly of Cal Poly). His signability may be a problem for some teams.

1 p.m. – At the 30-round mark, still no Morrison or Van Ostrand for that matter. I'm guessing those two play another year of college ball. Van Ostrand may be the only good news for the Cal Poly program in this particular draft.

1:30 p.m. – As expected, Chapman was thrilled with his selection in the eighth round – a pretty impressive feat for a unheralded pitcher out of Templeton High who got zero scholarship offers and played a pair of mediocre seasons at Cuesta College.
Chapman evolved into a lights-out starter for Oral Roberts this year and was a second-team All-American who struck out 17 and then 19 batters in a game this season.

“Man, I’m pumped,” he said in a phone interview. “I didn’t really know what team I was going to. I just wanted to get picked up by somebody. … Growing up, I was always and Oakland A’s fan. I didn’t really pay that much attention to the Phillies, but I’m their biggest fan now.”

3:30 p.m. - The second day of the draft has been slooooooooow for locals. Only Chapman has gone. Cal Poly’s Adam Buschini’s brother was drafted though. OF Shane Buschini, who plays at the University of San Diego, was selected in the 11th round (357th overall) by the San Diego Padres.

4 p.m. - A rash of guys went late in the draft but aren't expected to sign, according to their coaches. ... Cuesta RHP Jason Roenicke was drafted 829th overall by the Cincinnati Reds (27th Round). He is likely attending UC Santa Barbara next season.

Arroyo Grande’s Erik Morrison, a junior shortstop at Kansas, slipped down to the 49th round where he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates (1,415th overall).

Also, Righetti’s Devin Lohman, who has signed with Long Beach State, went 1,277th overall to the Colorado Rockies (43rd round).

Cal Poly’s Logan Schafer, a third-year sophomore, was also drafted by the Rockies with the 1,376th overall pick (47th round).

Under the new rules set on draft picks, players have until Aug. 15 to sign with their respective team.

I think that's it for this year's draft. Thanks for following. See Saturday's Tribune for a complete wrapup of the final day.