June 19 Notebook
June 19, 2007 05:22 PM | General
June 19, 2007
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Three of the four West Virginia University baseball players selected in June’s major league draft have signed with professional teams and have received their assignments.
 |
||
| Scott Seabol tips his cap to the St. Louis fans after hitting his only major league home run in 2005.
AP photo |
ADAM WHITE will join WVU teammate JUSTIN JENKINS in the outfield at Single-A Mahoning Valley, LEVI MAXWELL will pitch for Single-A Great Falls White Sox and KENNY DURST will pitch for Single-A Tri-City Dust Devils.
Middle infielder TYLER KUHN was taken in the 34th round by the Cleveland Indians and has yet to sign. He is presently playing summer baseball in the Valley League.
Two West Virginia signees: catcher Tobias Streich of Ridgeway, Pa., and pitcher Damian Seguen of North Bergen, N.J., were also drafted but have yet to sign pro contracts.
Former West Virginia University standout third baseman SCOTT SEABOL, once the 1,716th player selected in the 88th round of the 1996 draft, recently issued some advice for late-round draft picks. Seabol has been playing professionally now for 11 years.
“The No. 1 thing to sticking around is off-the-field conduct,” Seabol told the Albuquerque Tribune. “There’s not leeway at all. If you screw up off the field or you’re deemed un-coachable, that’s it.”
Seabol recalled having already registered for summer classes at WVU and preparing for his senior season when he received a telegram a week after the draft notifying him that he had been picked by the New York Yankees in the 88th round.
“I had two thoughts,” Seabol said. “One was, ‘I can’t believe I got drafted this low.’ The other was, ‘I can’t believe I got drafted.’”
Seabol says after a couple of years in pro baseball your draft spot becomes irrelevant.
“Your first year you know everybody’s draft position,” he told the Albuquerque Tribune. “After that nobody knows. The draft only counts as far as how much money you get. If you’re a 46th rounder and you can hit .300, you’re in.”
Seabol got his 1,000th career minor league hit last year and is presently batting .305 with 14 home runs and 51 RBI for Triple-A Albuquerque. He has 163 career minor league home runs.
In parts of two major league seasons with the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals Seabol hit .217 with one home run and 10 RBI.
Briefly:
Just remind your Panther friends these two important facts:
-- West Virginia is 23-19-2 against Pitt since 1962 when the two schools finally agreed to play home and home
-- West Virginia has more all-time football wins than does Pitt (653-639) heading into the 2007 campaign
You can really stick it to your Panther buddies by adding that West Virginia’s all-time victory total has come in three fewer seasons than Pitt.
Let’s Go Mountaineers!
Perhaps that speaks to the age of many of our online poll responders.
Not surprisingly, Georgetown, Marquette and Louisville are the three summer favorites in the Big East for 2008.
 |
||
| West Virginia cover boys Steve Slaton and Patrick White.
Courtesy of Street & Smith Sports Annals |
If you can think of an instance when West Virginia was picked this highly (other than Beano Cook’s publicity stunt in 1988) send me an email.
Greenspan is a man I believe a lot of football coaches will be willing to work for.
Did you realize that John Beilein and George King wound up with very similar coaching careers at West Virginia University?
King was 102-43 in his five years with the Mountaineers from 1961-65, leading West Virginia to three NCAA tournament appearances with just one losing season – a 14-15 record his last year in 1965.
Beilein was 104-60 with the Mountaineers from 2002-07, leading WVU to a pair of NCAA tournament trips and just one losing season – a 14-15 record his first year in 2002.
After leading West Virginia to post-season play in 1965, King elected to part ways taking a job in the Big Ten Conference with Purdue.
After leading West Virginia to post-season play in 2007, Beilein elected to part ways taking a job in the Big Ten Conference with Michigan.
Both King (FRED SCHAUS) and Beilein (GALE CATLETT) followed coaching legends at WVU.
Both King and Beilein had three 20-win seasons at West Virginia – King 23-4 in 1961, 24-6 in 1962 and 23-8 in 1963; Beilein 24-11 in 2005, 22-11 in 2006 and 27-9 in 2007. King’s best player was West Virginian ROD THORN. Beilein’s best player was West Virginian KEVIN PITTSNOGLE. Both were exceptional jump shooters.
Boy that sure looks like déjà vu all over again.
The list of players these guys have signed is staggering.
Bulger has stated that he would like to finish his NFL career as a Ram. As of today, the two sides are working on an extension.
“I weigh about 203 and that’s about where I’d like to stay for the season,” says Nichols, who looks like he could play some slot receiver or safety for the Mountaineer football team this season as well.
Have a great week!
Note the views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of West Virginia University or the Mountaineer Sports Network.
