June 6, 2008

FULLERTON, CA - Six current and four would-be Cal State Fullerton baseball players were selected by Major League clubs on Friday afternoon as the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft came to a close in Orlando, Fla.

Junior outfielder Erik Komatsu was the highest Titan taken on Friday, selected in the eighth round (No. 248 overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers. It is the latest that a Fullerton player had been taken in the draft since Jordan DeJong was taken in the 18th round in 2002.

The six players selected were also the fewest selected in a single season since six players were taken in 2004, a class that featured Kurt Suzuki, Jason Windsor, Mike Martinez, P.J. Pilittere, Ronnie Prettyman, and Felipe Garcia.

The 1-2 pitching punch of senior Jeff Kaplan and junior Cory Arbiso were the next two Fullerton players selected and were taken by a pair of Empire State clubs. Kaplan was an 11th round (No. 334) selection of the New York Mets while Arbiso went in the 22nd round (No. 680 overall) by the New York Yankees.

Senior closer Adam Jorgenson was taken in the 26th round (No. 797 overall) by the defending National League Champion Colorado Rockies and was followed by junior Joe Scott, who went in the 41st round (No. 1238) to the Milwaukee Brewers, and junior Jared Clark, who was a 45th round selection (No. 1366) of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Three of the Titan draftees this season were previous draftees in 2007: Clark was taken in the 21st round by the Cleveland Indians, Komatsu was a 38th round pick of the New York Yankees out of Oxnard College, and Scott was a 39th round pick of the Brewers.

Four Fullerton fall signees were also taken, headlined by pitcher Michael Montgomery, who was a supplemental first-round pick of the Kansas City Royals. Pitchers Jarrett Martin (19th round) and Kyle Whitten (22nd round), along with utility player Tyler Pill (38th round) were also selected.