The Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft concluded June 6 with
rounds 21-50, and six more Mid-American Conference players were
drafted. The first player selected on the second day was Kent State
senior catcher Alex Marconi, a first-team all-MAC choice behind the
plate this season. Marconi was drafted in the 27th round and 796th
overall by Tampa Bay. Marconi was ranked in the top six in the league
in five different offensive categories, including second in home runs
(18) and runs scored (64), and was tied for second in RBIs (57).
Central Michigan senior hurler Mike Steele was picked by Detroit in the
29th round (858th), while Kent State closer Dan Adams went in the 33rd
round (985th) to Philadelphia. Steele was 8-1 this year for the
Chippewas with a 3.82 ERA and helped CMU to a share of the West Division
title. Adams, the MAC's career leader in saves, paced the league for
the second straight year with 14 saves.
Ball State second baseman Jeremy Ridley, the twin of Cardinal shortstop
Shayne, was picked by Toronto in the 34th round (1,018th). On Monday,
Shayne was drafted by Baltimore in the 19th round. Jeremy, who was
sixth in the league with 16 stolen bases, finished the 2000 campaign
with a 327 batting average.
Central Michigan catcher Shaun Gragg and Western Michigan pitcher Matt
Vriesenga were both chosen in the 37th round, Gragg to Milwaukee
(1,101th) and Vriesenga to St. Louis (1,103rd). Gragg hit 14 home runs
and batted .293, while Vriesenga was 3-6 on the mound with a 3.16 ERA.
The six drafted on the second day join seven players that were selected
on Monday during the first 20 rounds. Those seven are: Bowling Green
pitcher Tony Fontana (7th round, Boston), Akron pitcher Mark Malaska
(8th, Tampa Bay), Ball State pitcher Jason Hickman (8th, Los Angeles),
Miami hurler Nate Tekavec (12th, Detroit), Miami second baseman John
Lackaff (15th, Chicago White Sox), Ball State pitcher Adam Sheefel
(17th, Cincinnati) and Shayne Ridley (19th, Baltimore).