Fresno State Athletics
On the 11th Day of Christmas
12/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Dec. 24, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - On the 11th day of Christmas Timeout brought the Red Wave 11 first round draft picks. Over the years Fresno State baseball has had many great players get selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. There have been 11 special players that were picked in the first round of the draft.
The first Bulldog to be taken in the first round was pitcher Dick Ruthven in 1972. He was selected as the eighth overall pick by Minnesota. During the 1972 season, Ruthven ties the single-game strikeout mark when he fans 20 against UC Santa Barbara. He also became just the third Bulldog to earn All-American honors.
In 1984, pitcher John Hoover became the second Bulldog to get drafted. He was the 25th overall pick by Baltimore. Hoover set a NCAA record for complete game in a season (19) and a career (42). He was also named a first-team All-American and Collegiate Baseball's Pitcher of the Year. Hoover earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team starting two games and winning a gold medal.
Fresno State had three first round draft choices in 1989 and it is one of only three times in draft history that three players from the same school were taken in the first round. Michigan had three in 1979 and Rice in 2004.
The three Bulldogs drafted in 1989 were Eddie Zosky (19th overall pick to Toronto), Steve Hosey 914th overall pick to San Francisco) and Tom Goodwin (22nd overall pick to Los Angeles). Goodwin and Zosky both earned All-American honors and named first-team All-Big West. Hosey ranks among the top 10 hitters in six categories.
In 1991, pitcher Bobby Jones was the 36th overall selection by the New York Mets. Jones was a member of the second Bulldog team to make it to the College World Series in Omaha. During his junior season, Jones went 16-2 with a 1.88 ERA and 18 complete games. Collegiate Baseball named him the NCAA Player of the Year. He also earned three All-American awards.
Two years later, pitcher Steve Soderstrom was the sixth overall selection by the San Francisco Giants. He became the highest drafted player in Bulldog history. He was a member of the Bulldog team that won the WAC in their inaugural season in the conference.
Pitcher Jeff Weaver was the 14th overall pick by the Detroit Tigers in 1998. He earned All-American honors and first-team All-WAC honors for three consecutive seasons in 1996-98. Weaver holds the Fresno State record for strikeouts in a career with 477. He is currently playing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In 2002, pitcher Ben Fritz was selected y the Oakland A's as the 30th overall pick. Fritz became the 28th Bulldog to earn All-American honors. He is ranked sixth in Fresno State history with seven saves in a season. He was named the WAC Pitcher of the Year in 2002.
Richie Robnett was drafted by the Oakland A's in 2004 and was the 26th overall selection. Robnett led the team in batting average (.384), home runs (13) and RBIs (51) in 2004. He was named an All-American and earned WAC Player of the Year honors.
The last first round draft pick was Matt Garza in 2005. He was the 25th overall selection by the Minnesota Twins. He was named the WAC Pitcher of the Year. Garza was the yearly leader with 6 wins, 4.90 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 2004. And in 2005, he led the team with a 3.07 ERA and 120 strikeouts.
On the 11th day of Christmas Timeout brought the Red Wave 11 first round draft picks, 10 bowl games in 11 years, nine Bulldog facilities, eight women's tennis WAC championships, seven years of Joe Kearny Award winners, six years in the save Mart Center, five years of Cleveland, volleyball a fourth place finish, their best finish in five years, three-pointers from women's basketball, two national championships and the No. 1 women's tennis doubles team.
