Four Canes selected in MLB Draft

Article posted June 12 at 12 a.m. EST

Four pitchers from the Miami Hurricanes baseball team were selected on the final day, June 8, of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft.

Junior lefthanders Scott Maine and Manny Miguelez were the first two pitchers taken among the four while senior righthander Danny Gil and junior righthander Enrique Garcia were selected in the 30th and 34th round, respectively.

Maine, who chose to come back in 2007 after being selected in the 23rd round by the Colorado Rockies, was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the sixth round with the 193rd overall pick.

Maine went 5-5 with a 3.28 ERA in 17 starts but was the victim of poor run support and defense throughout the season. He struggled in the 2007 postseason after being staked to a 7-3 lead, going four innings and giving up seven runs.

Nevertheless, the Palm Beach Gardens native did rank third in individual pitching in the ACC, striking out 74 batters in 96 innings.

After being selected in the sixth round, Maine most likely will not return.

Despite having ups and downs throughout the 2007 season, the Detroit Tigers took Manny Miguelez in the eighth round with the 271st overall pick.

Miguelez shined in his sophomore season, holding opponents to a .227 batting average while going 8-4 with a 4.31 ERA.

In his junior campaign, Miguelez struggled with his control and a string of ineffective outings forced him from the starting rotation. He did deserve a better record, receiving several no-decisions despite leaving games with the lead. Miguelez went 1-2 with a 5.60 ERA.

Although it appeared his stock dropped from 2006 to 2007, Miguelez was chosen in the eighth round, which could give him an incentive to leave as well.

Danny Gil, who appeared in a team-high 34 games in 2007 as a starter and closer, was the 921st pick in the 30th round by the Houston Astros.

He made two appearances in the 2007 NCAA Regional to match Miami’s all-time career appearance record with 123.

Gil went 3-0 in 2007 with a 3.50 ERA, striking out 53 in 54 innings while holding opponents to a .208 batting average. He picked up his sixth save in Miami’s lone victory in the NCAA Regional this year and helped the Hurricanes make two College World Series appearances during his career, putting up big numbers in the postseason.

Throwing a variety of pitches, Gil must locate and control his pitches consistently to reach the next level.

After entering the season as Miami’s closer, Enrique Garcia transitioned to the starting rotation smoothly, throwing two complete games during the season and picking up a victory against Kent State in the postseason.

The Mechanicsville, Md. native was taken by the Chicago Cubs with the 1024th pick in the 34th round.

The junior college transfer went 8-4 with a 3.82 ERA and struck out 80 in 92 innings in his first season with the Hurricanes.

Garcia, who has turned down offers by MLB teams to keep playing college baseball in the past, may choose to leave after a successful season. He would be a valuable piece to the puzzle in 2008, as he could solidify the closer role or be at the forefront of an already solid rotation.

Alex Kushel may be contacted at a.kushel@umiami.edu.