Baseball draft concludes; 37 more Oklahoma players taken

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Thirty-seven players with Oklahoma ties were selected Wednesday on the final day of Major League Baseball's annual first-year player draft. <br/><br/>The draft concluded Wednesday

Tuesday, June 6th 2006, 10:17 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Thirty-seven players with Oklahoma ties were selected Wednesday on the final day of Major League Baseball's annual first-year player draft.

The draft concluded Wednesday with rounds 19 through 50. Eighteen players with state ties went in rounds one through 18 on Tuesday, including one in the first round _ right-handed pitcher Brett Sinkbeil, a Sand Springs product who attends Missouri State and was chosen by the Florida Marlins.

On Wednesday, seven players from the University of Oklahoma were taken, led by second baseman Russell Raley, whom the New York Yankees picked in the 21st round. Other Sooners taken included outfielders Kody Kaiser and Chuckie Caufield; pitchers Will Savage, John Brownell and Ryan Mottern; and first baseman Kevin Smith.

Savage and Brownell went in consecutive rounds, the 26th and 27th, to the Philadelphia Phillies, while the Yankees took Smith and Raley, a day after taking Oklahoma pitcher Daniel McCutchen. The Milwaukee Brewers chose Caufield while Kaiser went to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Mottern went to the Cleveland Indians.

Two Oklahoma players, third baseman Ryan Rohlinger and McCutchen, went on the draft's first day.

Oklahoma State had two players selected Wednesday: catcher Matt Clarkson, who went in the 20th round to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and third baseman Tyler Mach, who went in the 40th round to the St. Louis Cardinals.

On Tuesday, five Cowboys were chosen: second baseman Shelby Ford; pitchers Brae Wright and Charles Benoit; outfielder Deik Scram; and first baseman Adam Carr. OSU's seven draftees was the Cowboys' highest total since 2002.

Oral Roberts raised its 2006 draft total to three players, as the Colorado Rockies picked pitcher Sean Jarrett in the 20th round and the Houston Astros chose shortstop Tim Torres in the 23rd round. Catcher Andy Bouchie went Tuesday in the seventh round to Milwaukee.

A total of 1,502 players were chosen in the draft.