Draftees include 8 locals

Steve Virgen

Costa Mesa High senior Daniel Cooper received a surprise, just as he

was signing to get his cap and gown during lunch time Tuesday.

Cooper was notified by cellular phone that he was selected by the

Montreal Expos with the 13th pick in the 38th round, 1,134th overall, in Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft.

“I’m really excited,” said Cooper, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound,

17-year-old, right-handed pitcher. “Ever since I was little, when I

first became a pitcher, I wanted to play pro. I wasn’t really sure I

was going to get drafted this year.”

Cooper was among eight local athletes selected, five of those

going Tuesday, the second day of the two-day draft.

Newport Harbor senior Brandon Jasper was chosen by the Milwaukee

Brewers with the fifth pick in the 43rd round, 1,274th overall.

An Expos scout called Cooper after the Mustang senior was picked.

Cooper said he will most likely confirm a draft-and-follow agreement

Saturday. He plans to play for Orange Coast College next year.

He had a 2.84 ERA, recording 71 strikeouts and 17 walks in 66 1/3

innings pitched for the Mustangs. He was 5-4 for Costa Mesa, which

finished fourth in the Golden West League.

“I think they are looking more at my potential and what I can do

in the future,” said Cooper, whose fastball has been clocked at 89

mph. “I’m a real young senior. I won’t be 18 until November.”

Cooper said he caught the eye of an Expos scout during the summer

when he improved while playing for a Dodgers’ scout team. He began

the summer playing on the 16-and-under team, but moved up two age

divisions and ended up as the closer for the 18-and-under team.

Costa Mesa Coach Doug Deats said the Atlanta Braves were also

interested in Cooper, who was a second-team All-Golden West League

honoree.

“I know he has worked hard in the off-season and obviously it paid

off,” Deats said. “He’s a tall, lanky kid and they’re projecting for

what he can do down the road.”

Cooper said he was surprised to be drafted. The first person he

told was his father, John Cooper, who called his son minutes after

the younger Cooper had found out.

“[Being drafted in the 38th round] makes my decision to go to

college easier,” Daniel Cooper said. “Now that I’ve been drafted, I

can go to Coast.”

Jasper, a 6-0 shortstop who also pitched for Newport Harbor, is

also planning to settle on a draft-and-follow agreement and play at

Golden West College next year. Jasper led the Sailors with 14 RBIs.

He had a .327 batting average with four home runs.

Jasper, who did not earn All-Sea View League honors, was not

surprised to be drafted.

“I knew I was going to get drafted,” he said. “I knew my ability

was that good.”

Kyle Allen, a former OCC standout pitcher who played for

Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho, was selected with the

21st pick in the 16th round, 482nd overall, by the Philadelphia

Phillies Monday. Allen has one more year of eligibility to play at

the NAIA school, where he compiled a 6-2 record and helped lead the

Warriors (52-10) to an NAIA World Series appearance.

Allen recorded 57 strikeouts to lead the team and had 11 walks. He

had a 3.34 ERA in 64 2/3 innings. Allen’s former teammate, Garrett

Murdy, a right-handed pitcher, was drafted with the 23rd pick in the

16th round, 484th overall, by the Houston Astros, on Monday.

The 6-4 Murdy went 14-1 at Texas A&M; University-Kingsville, which

was the top record in school history and ranked first in NCAA

Division II for the season. He was named first-team All-American and

Division II National Pitcher of the Year. He was No. 1 in Division II in strikeouts with 158, which is also a school record. He also set

school records for innings pitched (115) and ERA (1.88).

Kris Krise, a pitcher who played at UC Irvine as a freshman and

then transferred to College of the Canyons, was drafted by the Kansas

City Royals with the 14th pick in the 30th round, 895th overall.

Matt Fisher, a senior second baseman for UCI, was selected in the

33rd round, while his teammate, junior pitcher Glenn Swanson, was

taken in the 37th. The duo helped lead UCI to its first appearance in

the NCAA Division I regionals this spring.

The New York Mets selected Fisher, who transferred from the

University of Oklahoma as a junior last season. He hit four grand

slams over his two-year career as an Anteater, and collected two Big

West Conference Player of the Week awards.

The Boston Red Sox selected Swanson. He finished the season with a

6-4 record and a 5.51 ERA. The southpaw was second on the team in

strikeouts with 79. He will most likely return to UCI for his senior

season.

UCI’s Brett Smith was taken 42nd overall by the New York Yankees

Monday.