Fresno State Athletics
Three Bulldogs Selected In MLB Draft
6/5/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 5, 2001
FRESNO, Calif. - Junior right-handed pitcher Nick Moran, senior shortstop Josh Labandeira and junior first baseman Brandon Gemoll were all selected in the first day of the Major League Baseball draft this afternoon. They became the134th, 135th and 136th players, respectively, chosen during head coach Bob Bennett's 33-year tenure at the helm of the Fresno State baseball program.
Moran was chosen by the Cleveland Indians with the 97th pick overall, in the third round. He is coming off a junior season which saw him pitch the only complete-game shutout for the Bulldogs this season, a 1-0 victory over Rice on May 11. That week Moran was named the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week for his outstanding performance against the Owls. He completed the season with a 6-6 record in 19 appearances, including 10 starts. Moran struck out 78 batters in 90.1 innings of work while posting a solid 3.09 ERA. Along with his two complete games, he registered two saves this season for the Bulldogs.
A Porterville, Calif., native, Labandeira was selected by the Montreal Expos in the sixth round (172th overall pick). The WAC Player of the Year and a Collegiate Baseball third-team All-America selection, he led the Bulldogs in batting (.367), runs (62), hits (98), RBI (68), total bases (169) and stolen bases (8). Labandeira's name will be etched in the Fresno State baseball single-season records for years to come. He will leave Fresno State tied for eighth with former St. Louis Cardinal and Atlanta Braves third baseman Terry Pendleton and Eddie Zosky with 98 hits in a single season. His 67 RBIs this season tied him for sixth with Randy Asadoor, and he is tied for ninth in home runs (15) with Pete Delena and Derek Fermisco.
Junior first baseman Brandon Gemoll was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the eight round (238th overall pick). The second-team All-WAC performer led the Bulldogs with 22 doubles this season and trailed only Labandeira with 13 home runs and 58 RBIs. In only three years as a Bulldog, Gemoll is currently in sole possession of ninth in Fresno State history with 679 career at bats. He is also tied for ninth with Ron Johnson and teammate Simon Tafoya with 24 career home runs. Gemoll is also tied for 10th in the career record books 217 hits and 40 doubles.
The draft consists of 50 rounds and will continue through Thursday.
