Draft keeps coaches, players on toes

PULLMAN – The college baseball season is over for Division I teams in the state of Washington.

For their coaches, though, the Major League Baseball draft – which began Tuesday and will conclude today – the nervousness is just beginning.

Coaches all around the country watch with glee as some of their graduating seniors are picked up by professional clubs, only to recoil in horror as their juniors and incoming recruits are also drafted, tempted by signing-bonus riches to skip school and turn pro.

Washington junior pitcher Tim Lincecum was the 10th overall pick, taken by the San Francisco Giants Tuesday and will almost certainly take a huge signing bonus, but it’s other underclassmen who will have the spotlight on them as they decide what to do. Two Washington State recruits, third baseman Stephen Englund (drafted 70th overall by the Nationals) and shortstop Shawn O’Malley (139th overall to the Devil Rays), were taken and O’Malley has already told WSU he intends to enter the minor leagues. If drafted high schoolers pass on the money and attend college, they won’t be draft-eligible until after their third season.

“You don’t want to call them after the draft and say, ‘Hey, you’ve got to do this,’ ” WSU coach Don Marbut said. “Because if they sign, it doesn’t help your program. But it’s their day, and they should be proud of their accomplishment. They should be happy.”

Current Cougar Travis Webb, a junior closer out of Lewis and Clark, was taken in the eighth round by Cincinnati and another junior pitcher, Mike Wagner, went in the 18th round to Texas. Washington junior catcher Matt Lane was selected in the 11th round by Toronto. All will have to choose between one last year of college and a pro contract.

Senior Jay Miller, WSU’s all-time hits leader, went in the 17th round to Philadelphia. Gonzaga senior Scott Campbell, a second baseman, was taken in the 10th round by Toronto. Washington senior outfielder Zach Clem went in the 11th round to Milwaukee.

The Pac-10 had two other pitchers beside Lincecum go in the top 10, one of them to the Mariners. Seattle spent the fifth overall pick on Cal righty Brandon Morrow, and six-foot-seven Stanford right-hander Greg Reynolds went second to Colorado.