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June 6, 2008 - 11:34PM
Updated: June 6, 2008 - 11:34PM
Record 14 Sun Devils picked in draft
Dan Zeiger, Tribune
The second day of the major league amateur draft ended with a school record 14 current Arizona State baseball players being chosen, and - much to the relief of coach Pat Murphy - his 2009 recruiting class was no longer under assault.
Nine Sun Devils were drafted on Friday, including pitchers Stephen Sauer (10th round, Chicago White Sox), Reyes Dorado (14th, Los Angeles Angels), Josh Satow (25th, Tampa Bay) and Tommy Rafferty (28th, Tampa Bay), infielder Marcel Champagnie (15th, Angels) and outfielder Ryan Sontag (23rd, Chicago Cubs).
Michael Jones (28th, New York Yankees) will return to school for his senior year in football. The wide receiver is an NFL prospect.
ASU also had 11 signees picked, but - unlike the five recruits taken among the first 52 selections on Thursday - almost all of them are expected to attend school. Infielder Jarek Cunningham (18th round, Pittsburgh) was the highest signee selected.
"The top recruits being drafted puts a curb in our progress for next year," Murphy said. "We might take a little step backward. We're safe on a lot of our recruits, and that helps. We'll make the best of it. Great programs don't take too far of a step backward."
The 14 selections for ASU is the most since the draft adopted its current format in 1987. Twelve Sun Devils were chosen in 2003.
Former relief pitcher Jason Jarvis, who left the program in March after he was ruled academically ineligible, was taken by San Francisco in the 23rd round. Jarvis has been pitching for the independent Lincoln (Neb.) Saltdogs.
The Diamondbacks took four players with ASU ties, current reserve infielder Jake Elmore and signees Josh Spence, a pitcher from Central Arizona College, and prep infielders Riccio Torrez and Drew Maggi of Phoenix Brophy.
Torrez's brother, Raoul, is the Sun Devils' starting second baseman.
ASU basketball signee Johnny Coy, an infielder, was selected in the seventh round by Philadelphia. Football recruit Brandon Magee, an outfielder, went in the 28th round to Tampa Bay.
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