Giants select MU pitcher Broshuis

Advance High School graduate Garrett Broshuis was hopeful of being selected early as the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft began on Monday.

But Broshuis didn't want to get his hopes up too high in case that didn't happen.

"A few teams had told me I'd go between the fifth and eighth rounds, but with the draft you never know," Broshuis said. "I didn't want to count on it."

Broshuis, a right-handed pitcher who recently completed a standout junior season at the University of Missouri, didn't have to wait very long to be selected. He was taken by the Giants in the fifth round of the 50-round draft, the 160th player picked.

"I'm pretty excited about it, and my parents were real excited," Broshuis said. "The funny thing is, the Giants talked to me a few times but I hadn't actually talked to them in about probably a week, and today a couple of teams had already called me before the draft started but they weren't one of them."

Added Broshuis with a laugh, "I was listening to the draft on the Internet and the webcast went out early in the fifth round. One of our coaches called me and told me congratulations, I had been drafted in the 30th round. But I told him they were just on the fifth round."

Broshuis opened plenty of eyes around the country this year with a sensational season that featured an 11-0 record -- he tied the school mark for wins -- and a 2.61 earned-run average. In 114 innings, Broshuis allowed 97 hits, struck out 91 and walked only 24 as he was a first-team all-Big 12 Conference selection.

A member of MU's starting rotation the past three seasons after redshirting his first year in Columbia, Broshuis said he will make a decision in the next few days regarding whether he'll sign with the Giants or return to MU for his senior season.

An impressive student, Broshuis is only six hours shy of graduating with a degree in psychology. He has a 3.92 grade point average.

"If they make a good offer, it's going to be hard to pass up, but I'll just have to see," Broshuis said. "Being a junior and having the option to return to school, that should help me have a little leverage in the negotiations."

Draft notes

Broshuis was one of two MU starting pitchers taken in the first five rounds of the draft, after Danny Hill went in the third round as the 87th overall selection.

The Tigers made it three draftees on Monday as first baseman Cody Ehlers went to the Yankees in the 11th round.

Southern Illinois pitcher Eric Haberer was taken by the Cardinals in the third round, the 90th overall pick.

The only Ohio Valley Conference player drafted was Eastern Kentucky catcher Chris Clark, who went to the Astros in the 18th round.

The first 18 rounds of the draft were completed Monday, with the final 32 rounds scheduled for today.