Local faces could show up in this week's baseball draft

The annual baseball draft does not generate nearly the excitement or buzz of the other major professional sports drafts -- namely football and basketball -- but it's still plenty interesting.

And it's always fun for area baseball fans -- myself included -- to follow the draft and see if any local players are selected. A few generally are every year and this week's 50-round event Tuesday and Wednesday figures to continue that trend.

A year ago, Southeast Missouri State University pitcher Brandon Smith went in the 18th round to the Red Sox, marking the school's highest-ever selection. He now is in his second season of professional ball, although he has been struggling.

Another Southeast player, shortstop Zach Borowiak, was taken in the 49th round by the Giants but elected to return to school for his final season of eligibility.

And pitcher Jason Chavez, a Central High School graduate, went in the 43rd round to the Giants but decided to return to Mineral Area College for his sophomore season.

So, which local products will get the call this year? Like any draft, the baseball version is an inexact science, and you can never be too sure what's going to happen, especially in the late rounds.

But it's almost a cinch that Borowiak will be drafted again and likely considerably higher than last year. In fact, there has been talk of him perhaps even going in the top 25 rounds.

Southeast pitcher Bill Clayton, a hard thrower who was drafted in the 10th round out of high school, has a solid chance to be selected, although he's just a junior and experienced an up-and-down season.

After that, the potential picks are a little more iffy. Southeast pitcher Tim Alvarez had an unbelievable season and was statistically among the nation's premier hurlers, but he doesn't throw very hard and is a draft longshot at best.

Several more Southeast products -- led by outfielder Brian Hopkins, third baseman Denver Stuckey and second baseman Justin Christian --are draft possibilities but probably join Alvarez in the longshot category, although several could wind up signing free-agent contracts after the draft.

Chavez, who has plenty of potential, could be drafted again, and Central High School product Ross Bennett -- who is wrapping up a brilliant career as Baylor's designated hitter -- also has a shot to go late.

In a few days, the above speculation will give way to reality.

Here's wishing a speedy and total recovery to Southeast women's basketball coach B.J. Smith, who was involved in a frightening and apparently freak accident at his brother's Kansas City home last weekend.

While he and his brother were horsing around, Smith fell and hit his head on some steps. He suffered a cut but thought nothing about it.

However, while driving back to Cape Girardeau Sunday morning with his wife, Smith passed out. When they got home and he was still pretty much out of sorts, his wife called Southeast associate head athletic trainer Gail DiPrete, who works closely with women's basketball.

DiPrete quickly decided that Smith should be rushed to a hospital, an act that has been credited with saving his life. He underwent emergency head surgery for a blood clot and is now back home. He expects to make a full recovery.

Smith and his brother both told me how appreciative they are of everybody who played a part in helping during the potentially tragic situation -- the doctors, nurses and most of all DiPrete.

B.J. is a great guy and a heck of a young coach who appears to be on the verge of doing great things with the Otahkians after just one season with the program. I jokingly told him that I don't want to have to break in another new coach so soon, but what happened to him is definitely no joking matter.

But thankfully, the story looks like it will have a happy ending.

Congratulations to the aforementioned Bennett, who recently was picked as a first-team Academic All-American.

Ross is one of the few local athletes in any sport during recent years who has excelled at one of the nation's elite college programs. I've known him since he was starring for Central's Tigers, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a finer young man.

Bennett is just one of three former area high school baseball stars who competed in NCAA regional tournaments over the weekend, the others being Murray State pitcher Craig Ringwald (Central) and Missouri pitcher Garrett Broshuis (Advance).

Former Southeast baseball star Clemente Bonilla, who completed his eligibility in 2002, certainly had a wild yet productive last weekend, according to his father, who called me with the following account.

Bonilla, a second baseman in his second professional season after signing as a free agent last year, was scheduled to go from Baltimore's extended spring training in Florida to the Orioles rookie New York-Penn League team following the draft.

Instead, the Orioles called and said, because of an injury on their major league squad, they needed Bonilla to report immediately to Triple A Ottawa. The only problem was that his passport was at his family's home in California, nixing those plans.

Instead, a player from Double A Bowie (Md.) was sent to Ottawa, and Bonilla went to Bowie. His dad said he was naturally disappointed to miss a shot at Triple A, but Double A is still quite a jump for a player just one year removed from Southeast who expected to start the season in rookie ball.

It got somewhat overshadowed locally last weekend because of the brilliant performance by Scott City's Loren Groves at the Class 2 state track meet, but Kelly's Nathan Lewer's winning Class 2 high jump of 6-8 was an incredible performance that many years would win any class.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.