The Major League Baseball Draft begins Monday and a player from Nevada (Bryce Harper) is expected to go No. 1 overall to the Washington Nationals. But the wunderkind from College of Southern Nevada isn't the state's only highly-rated prospect.
Kris Bryant of Bonanza (Las Vegas) is expected to have his name called before the end of the fifth round, and the 6-foot-5 slugger could go as high as a supplemental first-round pick if several of the pre-draft rankings hold form.
The draft runs Monday through Wednesday in Seacaucus, N.J.
"It's a crapshoot," said Bonanza coach Derek Stafford, who fielded several calls from scouts and reporters Wednesday morning. "It depends on what a team needs or what they are looking for. He's a straight-A student, so he's in a win-win situation."
Bryant signed with the University of San Diego in the fall and, coincidentially, he left Tuesday for San Diego to work out for pro scouts at Petco Park. Bryant played shortstop for the Bengals, although projects as a corner infielder at the next level.
But it's his power potential at the plate that has teams excited and the primary reason he ranks as one of the top 30 draft prospects by several publications.
"I've heard him compared to a Scott Rolen or Troy Glaus type of guy," Stafford said. "He has home run power. He hits the ball a mile with a wood bat or a metal bat."
Bryant hit 22 home runs this season, which is the third-most in state history, according to the Nevada Interscholastic Association record book. He ended his career with 47 homers, also No. 3 in the record book. Bryant batted .469 and had 51 RBI, along with a 1.271 slugging percentage to earn Gatorade State Player of the Year as a senior. Of his 45 hits, 30 went for extra bases, but Stafford was more impressed with two other statistics:
Bryant hit a home run every 4.2 at-bats and finished with more home runs than strikeouts for two consecutive seasons (14 home runs, 12 strikeouts as a junior; 22 HRs, 20 Ks as a senior).
"He's been on a mission ever since he got here," said Stafford, whose squad won three games in the Sunset Region playoffs this spring. "He's a team-first guy and all he ever wanted to do since he got here was make the playoffs."
Last year, three high school players from the state were selected in the draft, but that number could be higher in 2010. Sierra Vista (Las Vegas) pitcher Nick Kingham had a strong season with the Mountain Lions after sitting out his junior year due to transfer rules. The 6-3 right-hander signed with Oregon and is ranked as one of the top 100 prospects by a number of publications.
Other players who could be drafted include: Patrick Gallagher, Reno; Brian Pointer, Galena (Reno); Aaron Blair, Spring Valley (Las Vegas); Johnny Field, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas); Anthony Rosa, Damonte Ranch (Reno).
MCQUEEN BASEBALL COACH STEPS DOWN
McQueen (Reno) baseball coach Brian Nelson resigned Friday after 13 seasons with the Lancers, citing his desire to spend more time with his family.
"I'm not a big fan of getting text messages and video clips of my son," Nelson told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "I'd rather see it in person."
McQueen went 19-13 this season (12-6 in the High Desert League) and made the 4A Northern Region playoffs for the second straight year. The Lancers knocked off Damonte Ranch (Reno) in the first round before being eliminated with losses to Reno and Spanish Springs (Sparks) in their next two games. Nelson will remain at the school as a physical education, health and alternative education teacher.
Nelson is the second northern Nevada baseball coach to resign in the last two weeks. Douglas (Minden) coach John Glover also stepped down to spend more time with family.
RAMIREZ NEW VOLLEYBALL COACH AT DAMONTE RANCH
Damonte Ranch (Reno), which reached the girls volleyball 4A Northern Region final last season, hired Doug Ramirez as its new coach. Ramirez, who replaces Velvet Steel, has coached club volleyball the past four seasons and inherits one of the stronger programs in northern Nevada. The Mustangs have qualified for the postseason three straight seasons.
"I liked his experience working with high school kids," Damonte Ranch AD Bill Harrison told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "He's also coached at a very high level, which is where our program is at."
SUNSET TOPS SUNRISE ALL-STARS
Ira Haywood, Kevin Olekaibe and Moses Morgan dominated the Northwest League during the boys basketball season as individuals. Together, the trio overpowered the Sunset Region at the Las Vegas Area High School Senior All-Star Game on Saturday.
Haywood, a guard out of Legacy (North Las Vegas), scored 25 points, Cimarron-Memorial (Las Vegas) guard Olekaibe finished with 23 and Palo Verde (Las Vegas) swingman Morgan had 21 as the Sunset Region grabbed a 121-113 win over the Sunrise at Chaparral (Las Vegas).
“It feels pretty good because we’re used to playing against each other, and now we got to play with each other and showcase our talents,” the DePaul-bound Morgan told NevadaPreps.com.
Haywood, who will play at Highline College (Wash.), hit 11 of 16 shots from the floor. Olekaibe, a Fresno State signee, gave the Sunset a 95-71 lead on a dunk with less than nine minutes remaining before the Sunrise rallied late.
Desert Pines (Las Vegas) guard Tyler Larson had a game-high 26 points and five rebounds for the Sunrise. Rancho (Las Vegas) forward Amir Royal scored 21 points, while Liberty (Henderson) guard Tim Rambo added 19, including four of his five 3-pointers in the second half.
Cheyenne (North Las Vegas) center Jaylen Henry, who signed with Eastern Washington, chipped in with 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks for the Sunset. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) point guard John Loyd arrived just before tip-off after attending Gorman's graduation ceremony. The Oregon signee finished with seven points, four assists and two blocks off the bench for the Sunset.
David Schoen works at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and is a former Associate Sports Editor and Turn2 columnist for the Oakland (Calif.) Tribune. You can reach him at ByDavid1@aol.com.
