Area players await call in MLB draft
By ADAM PRUIETT
adamp@nwfdailynews.com
Even though they've probably dreamed of becoming big leaguers ever since they strapped on a glove and picked up a bat and ball, Niceville's Brett DeVall and Austin Wood say they're composed heading into today's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
"I'm not nervous," DeVall said. "I've just tried to take it easy, go to the beach and chill out. Just however it goes, it goes."
"Right now, I'm not nervous," Wood said. "I'll just kind of wait and see how it goes."
On the other hand, Ryan Chaffee, a former Niceville star and standout at Chipola College, readily admits he's on edge. Drafted in the 43rd round by the Atlanta Braves last season, Chaffee is anxious to learn his draft fate this year.
"I'm so nervous," he said. "I'm ready to get going and hopefully make some money."
DeVall and Wood, the Eagles' superior pitching duo, will attend a draft party in their honor today hosted by teammate Josh McDorman. Chaffee, also a pitcher, said he isn't doing anything special, "just kind of sitting around hoping."
The 50-round draft runs today and Friday. It begins at 1 p.m. today and will be televised on ESPN2.
DeVall is likely a lock to be drafted in the first round, which, including supplemental picks, contains 46 selections. According to Baseball America, he's the top high school left-handed pitching prospect in the nation. Overall, he's the third-rated southpaw pitcher and No. 33 among all prospects.
In a Baseball America mock draft on May 29, he was projected to be taken in the mid to late 20s, suggesting he won't wait long to hear his name called.
"I have a preference of teams I'd like to play for, but it doesn't matter if I'm (drafted) one or 40 or whatever," said DeVall, who was 13-2 with a 0.63 ERA and 160 strikeouts in 100 innings.
Wood, a preseason third-team All-American by Baseball America, has high hopes but declined to speculate on what round he'd be taken.
"You can say you'll go in a certain round, and then you go in like the 50th," said righthander Wood, who was 7-0 this season with a 1.93 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings. "If it's a good place in the draft, I may take it. Otherwise, I've got college (he signed with Florida State) to fall back on."
Chaffee, who helped lead Chipola to the 2007 Junior College World Series title, wouldn't mind if Atlanta gave him a nod again in this draft.
"In my opinion, I hope it's the Braves. But if it's not, it's going to be great anyway," said Chaffee, a righthander who had his season shortened due to a foot injury and went 3-3 with a 4.07 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings.
Even if the pros aren't in the cards just yet, each of the trio has a promising college opportunity. While Wood is headed to Florida State, DeVall has signed with Georgia and Chaffee with LSU. All three of those programs are in the NCAA Super Regionals.
"It's a win-win situation," Wood said.
