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Tuesday, July 1, 2008
DREAMS COME TRUE FOR AREA PLAYERS SELECTED IN MLB DRAFT
Eastern Oklahoma, OK
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By: Byron Beers
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Photo(s) By: Brett Rojo
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A blazing baseball in the throwing hand of Bobby Bundy. A bat lit up in flames in the hands of Nick Farnsworth. That was how we wanted to portrait two of top baseball prospects in the state on the cover of the April issue.
It seemed like a good choice then, and it was an even better choice after Bundy and Farnsworth were the first two high school players from Oklahoma taken in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
But there were other standouts from around the area taken in the draft such as Dallas Beeler and Mark Ginther, both from Jenks, Owasso’s Brian Flynn, Beggs’ Zack Grimmett and Denny Clement of Cascia Hall.
Bundy, a 6-foot-2 hard-throwing right-hander out of Sperry, became the first high school player from the state to be chosen. A University of Arkansas signee, Bundy was selected in the eighth round (236th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles.
Bundy, who was playing with a knee injury through a good portion of his senior year that he suffered while playing basketball, helped lead Sperry to the Class 3A state title with a 15-2 victory over Beggs in the finals. It was the second state championship in three years for Bundy and the Pirates. With an over-powering fastball clocked in the mid-90s, he registered 111 strikeouts in just 54 innings of work as a senior. He went 9-1 on the mound with a 0.90 ERA.
Bundy is just as good with the bat, which would make him a good fit on the college level where he can produce in both areas. He hit .542 with 10 home runs this spring and also saw playing time at third base.
Farnsworth, perhaps more under the radar, let his bat speak volumes while a senior at Union. The 6-foot-2 smooth-swinging first baseman received plenty of acclaim on the national level while participating with select all-star teams and competing in home run derbies. Farnsworth became the first high school position player selected when the Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels picked him in the ninth round (289th overall).
“I was a little bit surprised at where I got picked after what some scouts had told me,” said Farnsworth, who has already agreed to contract terms with the Angels. “But I just want to play baseball so I’m just happy to have this opportunity.
“It didn’t really hit me until a few days afterwards. It’s always been a dream of mine to play professional baseball. I grew up watching it on TV and now I have a chance to fulfill my dream.”
Farnsworth was on a torrid hitting pace when he was drafted. In 17 at bats for the Midwest Nationals, a select team out of Springfield, Mo., he produced 11 hits. He finished with a pair of home runs, five doubles and delivered 14 RBIs. In his final game he put on a hitting clinic, going 5-for-5 while knocking in 10 runs. A Northeast Texas Community College signee, Farnsworth belted a grand slam over the scoreboard in right field and left with a three-run bash to left-center field in what would be his final swing.
Owasso’s Brian Flynn is a rarity that had scouts drooling from the very start of the evaluation process. Flynn stands at 6-foot-8 and throws from left side with a fastball clocked anywhere from the low to mid-90s.
Dominating throughout his high school career with the Rams, Flynn was picked in the 18th round (562nd overall) by the Boston Red Sox. He helped lead Owasso to its second-straight state championship in 6A.
Flynn has inked with Wichita State where he is expected to continue his baseball career. As a senior, he went 9-1 on the hill with an ERA of 0.79 through 70 2/3 innings. Flynn recorded 126 strikeouts and issued only 21 walks.
Jenks head coach Rusty Zumwalt had a great duo in Beeler and Ginther, who both helped propel the Trojans to the 6A state tournament in 2008. Beeler was chosen by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 34th round (1,119th overall), while Ginther was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 48th round (1,444 overall).
Beeler was effective both as a right-hand pitcher and outfielder for the Trojans. He was also a standout wide receiver for Jenks. Beeler is expected to continue his playing days at Seminole State College.
Ginther showed that he was a great athlete at Jenks where he excelled on the gridiron as the Trojans quarterback and on the diamond as a shortstop and pitcher. He has been projected as a third baseman on the pro level, but is expected to stick with his decision to play at Oklahoma State. As a senior, Ginther batted .407 with five home runs and 40 RBIs. On the mound, he posted a 7-1 record with a 0.88 earned run average.
Clement, a standout at Cascia Hall under head coach David Warburton, was picked by the Oakland Athletics in the 39th round (1,174th overall). Clement has signed to play college baseball at Texas A&M. The 6-foot left-hander was also a top-notch football player as a fullback and linebacker for the Commandos, and a state champion wrestler at 171 pounds.
The Houston Astros selected Grimmett in the 28th round (842nd overall). Grimmett proved that he could hit off Bundy during the 3A state championship game as he knocked in a pair of runs with a single in what would be Beggs’ only runs. Grimmett has great size at 6-foot-3 and was drafted as a right-hand pitcher.
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