Psomas; Cline Picked in 15th
June 07, 2004 08:05 PM | General
June 7, 2004
MORGANTOWN, W.VA. – West Virginia University’s Grant Psomas and Zac Cline were selected in the 15th round of the major league draft today. Psomas was the 434th overall player taken by the New York Mets while Cline went 18 spots later to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Both players were projected to be selected a little higher.
“Based on the things I heard I thought I’d be picked a little better than the 15th but I’m still happy I got picked,” Psomas said.
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Although there were 14 players drafted ahead of Psomas, the Mets only selected two middle infielders among its first 14 picks. The organization chose high school third baseman Nicholas Evans in the fifth round and University of California shortstop Ryan Coultas in the sixth round.
“That’s encouraging but if I decide to sign it’s going to take a lot of hard work to move up the ladder and I’m going to try and do the best I can,” said Psomas.
Psomas grew up a Pittsburgh Pirates fan living in nearby Carnegie, Pa., but admitted he actually bought a Mets hat a few years ago on a whim.
“I bought a fitted hat about five years ago and I still have it,” said Psomas. “I just liked the colors of the hat so I bought it.”
Psomas wasn’t following the draft but did find out he was taken quickly when his mother Nancy, his brother Steve, and two sisters Tara and Shelby began causing a commotion upstairs.
“They were listening to the draft on the computer and they started yelling when my name was called,” he said. “I knew then that I got taken.”
Psomas says the Mets area scout called to congratulate him and would get back in touch with him later this evening to begin discussing a contract. Being a junior, Psomas has the flexibility of returning to school for his senior season if he doesn’t get an offer he likes.
Psomas was West Virginia’s second leading hitter in 2004, batting .343 with a team-best nine home runs and 45 RBI. Mountaineer coach Greg Van Zant believes the Mets are getting an outstanding player in Psomas if he chooses to sign.
“There are not many kids out there with Grant’s size, arm and bat speed,” said Van Zant, who has now had 21 players selected since 1996. “He can hit the ball 450 feet and he has a lot of flexibility in that he can play other positions. Third base is probably his best position in the pros.”
Meanwhile, lefthanded pitcher Zac Cline slipped to the 15th round after going into the draft believing he was going to be taken before the 10th round. Cline had another outstanding season as a junior in 2004, leading the team with an 8-3 record and a 2.65 ERA. That follows a magnificent sophomore season in which he posted a 12-3 record with a 3.44 ERA and 101 strike outs in 125.2 innings pitched.
“Zac throws his fastball where he wants and his changeup sets him apart from other pitchers,” said Van Zant. “He is just a guy who knows how to pitch.”
Cline came into the draft rated the sixth-best player in the Mid-Atlantic Region covering West Virginia, Delaware and Maryland by Baseball America.
“This draft process is so crazy,” said Cline. “You hear so many different things from different people that you’ve just got to wait it out and see what happens. They tell guys you’re going in certain rounds and get your hopes up and sometimes it can be tough when you don’t get that call. But in that respect I’m just thankful I did receive a call and the Phillies selected me.”
Psomas agrees with Cline, “It’s a crap shoot. I’m sure there are players picked in the 10th round that are better than some picked in the fifth round,” he said. “I’m not even sure how they go about doing it but I’m happy I was taken.”
Cline was one of six pitchers taken by the Philadelphia in the first 15 rounds. The Phillies drafted Northwestern lefthander James Happ in the third round, Oregon State righthander Andrew Baldwin in the fifth round, Oklahoma City College righthander Joe Bisenius in the 12th round, high school lefthanded pitcher James Adkins in the 13th round, and Mesa State lefthander Jason Martinez in the 14th round.
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“I talked to the Phillies scout around 6 o’clock and he said he would call me tomorrow and then be out to the house in the next three or four days to try and iron out all of the details,” said Cline.
Cline believes he is the first player from Union City, Pa., ever to be drafted.
“This is a little town out in the middle of nowhere and if there has been one I’m not aware of it,” he said.
Psomas, for one, was a little surprised that he was picked ahead of Cline based on some of the publications covering the draft.
“I thought Zac and I were pretty close,” he said. “We were pretty much in the same boat. The funny thing is I was talking to (WVU teammate) Stan Posluszny after I got drafted and I was in my computer room and the draft was on in the background and I heard Zac’s name get called. Then I gave Zac a call to congratulate him and he had no idea he had been drafted.”
Like Psomas, Cline has the leverage of returning to school for his senior season if he doesn’t receive an offer to his liking.
Earlier today WVU football recruit Pat White was taken in the fourth round by the Anaheim Angels as the 114th overall selection.
Last year West Virginia had two players drafted; outfielder Jarod Rine went in the ninth round to the Baltimore Orioles and pitcher Jason DiAngelo was taken in the 27th round by the Colorado Rockies.
The draft covered 18 rounds today with the remaining 32 rounds concluding tomorrow.
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WVU Players Drafted Since 1996 |
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| Year | Player | Round | Organization |
| 1996 | Mike Riley (P) | 16 | San Francisco Giants |
| 1996 | Scott Seabol (3B) | 88 | New York Yankees |
| 1997 | Chris Enochs (P) | 1 | Oakland A's |
| 1997 | Steve Beller (P) | 24 | Milwaukee Brewers |
| 1998 | Brad Elwood (C) | 19 | New York Yankees |
| 1998 | Garrett Zyskowski (P) | 22 | Houston Astros |
| 1998 | Jamie Hammond (SS) | 23 | Montreal Expos |
| 1998 | David Kloes (P) | 41 | New York Yankees |
| 1999 | Jeremy Cummings (P) | 21 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2001 | Shane Rhodes (P) | 11 | Boston Red Sox |
| 2001 | David Maust (P) | 17 | Montreal Expos |
| 2001 | Vance McCracken (P) | 18 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2001 | Josh Cisneros (C) | 23 | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 2001 | Matt Blethen (P) | 24 | Cleveland Indians |
| 2001 | Billy Biggs (P) | 36 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2002 | Joe Van Gorder (P) | 14 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2002 | Dustin Nippert (P) | 15 | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2002 | Billy Biggs (P) | 40 | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2003 | Jarrod Rine (CF) | 9 | Baltimore Orioles |
| 2003 | Jason DiAngelo (P) | 27 | Colorado Rockies |
| 2004 | Grant Psomas (SS) | 15 | New York Mets |
| 2004 | Zac Cline (P) | 15 | Philadelphia Phillies |
