UT's Cruz and Ferguson signed; Jimenez remains unsigned.

Former UT players OF Paul Cruz and LHP Kevin Ferguson have both signed professional baseball contracts, UT  head coach Joe Urso said Friday.

Cruz, a Brandon High grad and former HCC standout, was selected in the 40th round by the Cardinals. He led the Spartans with 26 extra-base hits (17 doubles, five triples and four homers) while hitting .362.

Ferguson, who was taken in the 43rd round by the Angels, was the Spartans' No. 1 starter, going 6-3 with a 4.15 ERA in 15 starts.

UT first baseman Jose Jimenez, a 33rd round pick of the Angels, remains unsigned. Urso said the Angels are following Jimenez's progress as he plays for the Leesburg Lightning of the Florida Collegiate Summer League. The 5-foot-11, 235-pound Jimenez, a junior, was a member of two Divison II national title teams at UT and  hit 41 homers in three seasons with the Spartans.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Ferrara signs with Cardinals

Former Riverview LHP Anthony Ferrara has signed with the Cardinals and reported to the team's camp in Jupiter this afternoon, he told the Times this afternoon.

Ferrara wouldn't disclose his signing bonus, but said he said the deal was for "above my slotted pick." The Cardinals selected Ferrara in the seventh round with the 215th overall pick, which was the 12th selection on the draft's second day. Ferrara will play for the Cardinals' Gulf Coast League team in Jupiter.

"It feels great to be known as a professional ballplayer," Ferrara said. "But I still have a long way to go to get where I want to be. I want to be in the majors, one of the people you see on TV."

Ferrara, a USF signee, informed USF pitching coach Lazer Collazo of his decision to turn pro and was pleased with the reaction.

"It's a tough thing to do," he said. "You're really into going there and then you turn around and do something else. ... But I was really pleased with the way he reacted. He said that anything I needed to feel free to call, if I needed to throw a bullpen, that I have his number in my phone."

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Dissecting the draft

Below is a list of all area players picked in the 2008 MLB draft. Who from this group is the most likely to reach the Majors? And do you see any potential all-stars in there?

Round 2, Kenny Wilson, OF, Sickles, Blue Jays
Round 7, Anthony Ferrara, LHP, Riverview, Cardinals
Round 9, Ryan Strauss, RHP, FSU/Bloomingdale, White Sox
Round 12, Ryan Weber, RHP, CC Catholic, Phillies
Round 12, Braulio Pardo, C, Saint Leo/Gaither, Angels
Round 13, Corey Thomas, P/SS, Middleton, Orioles
Round 13, Daniel Thomas, RHP, USF/Gaither, A's
Round 17, Jamie Mallard, 1B, Middleton, Angels
Round 17, Addison Maruszak, SS, USF/SP Catholic, Yankees
Round 25, Erik Turgeon, RHP, UConn/Dunedin, Mets
Round 26, John Servidio, RF, Barry/Ridgewood, Mets
Round 26, Chris Swauger, OF, Citadel/Jesuit, Cardinals
Round 29, Jake Rogers, SS, Dunedin, Red Sox
Round 29, Sean Buckley, 3B, King, Cubs
Round 36, Ryan Koch, RHP, Fla. South./Osceola, Blue Jays
Round 38, Kris Castellanos, LHP, Newsome, Astros
Round 40, Paul Cruz, OF, U. of Tampa/Brandon, Cardinals
Round 40, Sam Mende, SS, CC Catholic, Yankees

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Wilson signs on the dotted line

Above: Kenny Wilson, center, smiles with his parents, Mary, left, and Ken Sr., right, after Wilson signed a professional contract with the Blue Jays. Below: Jays area scout Joel Grampietro watches as Wilson signs.

Former Sickles centerfielder Kenny Wilson made good on the wish of a 3-year-old -- that was when young Kenny first told his father he wanted to be a professional baseball player -- signing a pro contract with the Blue Jays on Monday afternoon at his graduation party in Indian Shores.

Wilson, who was Toronto's second-round pick and the 63rd selection overall, signed a deal worth just more than $700,000, which included a predetermined $644,000 signing bonus slotted for his draft space by the commissioner's office.

"I never thought anything like this could be possible," Wilson said. "That's the way I've always felt. I was just a normal high school player trying to get a scholarship. I never thought something like this could happen to me. I've always wanted it. Don't get me wrong. I just never thought it would happen like this."

Wilson, a Times' all-Suncoast first-teamer, signed the contract with about 100 family members and friends on hand. Joel Grampietro, the Jays' area scout, represented the Toronto organization.

Wilson will report to Dunedin for a physical and finish the deal. He will play for the Blue Jays' short-season Gulf Coast League rookie league team in Dunedin. His pro debut will be June 19 and with Dunedin just a short trip away from Tampa, there was the promise of a regular Wilson cheering section at games GCL games.

"Anyone with a van, call me," Wilson's father, Ken Sr., told the guests.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Pardo signs with Angels

Former Gaither, USF and Saint Leo catcher Braulio Pardo has signed with the Angels. 

Pardo, who was drafted in the 12th round with the 379th overall pick, will report to the Angels' rookie league team in Orem, Utah. The team is managed by Seminole resident Tom Kotchman, the longtime Angels coach and father of former Seminole standout and current Angels 1B Casey Kotchman.

A 6-foot, 190-pound switch-hitting catcher, Pardo, who transferred from USF after playing two seasons there, hit .356 this past season as a junior in his only season at Saint Leo. He was a first-team all-Sunshine State Conference selection, hitting three homers and 21 RBIs with six doubles, two triples and 35 runs scored.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Thomas signs with Orioles

Former Middleton P/SS Corey Thomas has signed a deal with the Baltimore Orioles, and reported to the organization's Gulf Coast League team in Sarasota on Sunday, his advisor said.

Rich Arena, Thomas' advisor, said Thomas, who was drafted in the 13th round by the Orioles, completed a deal Saturday and was "treated fairly" by the Orioles. His deal is believed to be in the $100,000 range.

Thomas was signed to play at USF, but he made it clear that he would take advantage of the chance to turn pro if drafted. Even though he played shortstop at Middleton, the Orioles drafted him as a third baseman and want to see his bat develop. At USF, the belief was that he would likely pitch and occasionally play third.

If he decided to go to college, Thomas, 19, wouldn't be eligible for the draft for another two years. This way, Thomas will get about 1,250 pro at bats using a wooden bat by the time he turns 21 and see where he goes offensively.

"This was the best opportunity for him to get to big-league ball," Arena said.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Wilson to sign with Jays

Former Sickles CF Kenny Wilson will sign with the Blue Jays today, his advisor said this morning.

Rich Arena, Wilson's advisor, said the Jays' second-round pick (63rd overall) will sign with the Jays at his graduation party today at 5. Jays area scout Joel Grampietro was also optimistic a deal could get done this morning.

Wilson will receive a $644,000 signing bonus, a number slotted by the commissioner's office for his draft spot, and the total number of the deal, including money for college and incentives will reach over $700,000, Arena said.

He will report to Dunedin tomorrow for physicals and begin playing for the Jays' Gulf Coast League team there.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Inside the Draft: Why the Jays took Wilson.

It came as a surprise to some that Sickles centerfielder Kenny Wilson went so early in this year's MLB  first-year player draft. Wilson, who blossomed during his senior season and had signed to play at UF, was selected by the Blue Jays in the second round with the 63rd overall pick.

Joel Grampietro, the Blue Jays' area scout, said Wilson impressed the Jays with his speed and said he went high because Toronto's system lacked depth up the middle.

"I think it was moreso looking at our system and seeing that we didn't have very many players up the middle," said Grampietro, who also scouted and signed current Rays first baseman Carlos Pena, a former first-round pick, while he was a scout for the Rangers. "With the exception of Vernon Wells, we don't have a lot of high-impact guys in those places. We've really changed our landscape when it comes to high school players."

Toronto traditionally is more high on college players than high school players -- and those prep players the Jays have taken high were power bats -- but the organization saw Wilson's tools, especially his speed, as exemplary for a high school player. Wilson led Hillsborough County this season with 37 runs scored and 26 stolen bases.

"He has an outstanding first step,"  Grampietro said. "And that translates defensively. He's good on the bases. As far as his bat goes, he's not small. He's lean, kind of like a Coco Crisp-type build. Whether that will translate into home runs later on, I don't know. But we think he's got enough bat to be good."

Grampietro planned to meet with Wilson and his family this afternoon to discuss contract details. As the 63rd pick, he would receive a $644,000 signing bonus, as slotted by the commissioner's office. If he does sign, Wilson would then report to Dunedin for a physical and a workout as soon as possible, Grampietro said.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

UT's Ferguson goes to Angels

UT left-hander Kevin Ferguson became the third Spartan drafted when he went to the Angels in the 43rd round with the 1309th overall pick.

Ferguson, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior, was the Spartans' No. 1 pitcher, going 6-3 with a 4.15 ERA in 15 starts.

UT first baseman Jose Jimenez and OF Paul Cruz, a Brandon grad, were taken earlier.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Mende goes in 40th round to Yankees

Clearwater Central Catholic shortstop Sam Mende was selected in the 40th round by the Yankees.

Mende, a USF recruit, hit .480 with eight home runs and seven triples this past season for the Marauders.

-- BOB PUTNAM

UT's Cruz goes to Cardinals

We talked about the Angels' efforts in Hillsborough County. Well, the Cardinals have also made an impression on Day 2 of the MLB first-year player draft.

The Cardinals took UT outfielder Paul Cruz, a Brandon grad, in the 40th round with the 1205th overall pick. Cruz is the third Cardinals draftee with local ties. St. Louis also took Riverview lefty Anthony Ferrara in the seventh round and drafted former Jesuit standout and current Citadel OF Chris Swauger in the 26th.

Cruz, a senior who started his college career at HCC before transferring to UT as a junior, led the Spartans with 26 extra-base hits (17 doubles, five triples and four homers) while hitting .362.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Koch taken by Jays in 36th round

Florida Southern' senior Ryan Koch, a former star at Osceola, was picked in the 36th round by the Blue Jays.

Koch, a right-hander, went 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA this past season with the Mocassins. He played two seasons at St. Petersburg College before going to Florida Southern.

-- BOB PUTNAM

Astros tab Castellanos in 38th round

The Astros selected Newsome pitcher Kris Castellanos in the 38th round with the 1142nd overall pick.

Castellanos, an FSU signee, led Hillsborough County in strikeouts with 87 in 49 innings. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound lanky left-hander was 5-2 with a 3.43 ERA in nine starts, but was benched for his region quarterfinal start against Land O'Lakes for violating team rules.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

UT's Jimenez taken by Angels

The Angels have taken their share of area prospects, taking former Gaither product Braulio Pardo and Middleton slugger Jamie Mallard earlier in the day. Add UT first baseman Jose Jimenez (5-foot-11, 235 pounds) to the mix.

Jimenez, a member of two Divison II national title teams who hit 41 homers in three seasons with the Spartans, was selected by the Angels in the 33rd round with the 1009th overall pick.

In the days leading up to the draft, UT coach Joe Urso said he thought a team would take a chance on Jimenez, who is a junior and has one year of eligibity left.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

King's Buckley taken by Cubs in 29th round

During his time at King, Sean Buckley earned a reputation as being one of the toughest outs in Hillsborough County.

On Friday afternoon, the USF signee was selected by the Cubs in the 29th round with the 881st overall pick.

Buckley is a Times' all-Hillsborough County first-teamer who hit .448 as a senior. His going late in the draft isnt surprising. King coach Jim Macaluso said earlier this week that Buckley (6-foot-4, 205 pound) has made it clear he wants to attend college.

Also, former Jesuit standout Chris Swauger, an outfielder at The Citadel, went to the Cardinals with the 785th pick in the 26th round.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Rogers goes in 29th round to Red Sox

Dunedin shortstop Jake Rogers was taken with the final selection in the 29th round by the Red Sox. Rogers, a three-time all-Suncoast Player of the Year, hit .410 with eight home runs and a school-record 44 walks this past season.

Rogers watched the first couple of rounds on TV before heading to a cookout at a former teammate's house. He didn't find out he had been drafted until Falcons' second baseman Casey Turgeon texted him with the news.

"It was a good feeling; nice to finally get it over with," said Rogers, who was instrumental in helping Dunedin to the Class 5A state title. "Yesterday was a long day, and then there was the wait today."

Rogers, who signed a letter-of-intent to play for UCF, hasn't decided whether he will turn pro with Boston or play collegiate baseball. He said he expects to hear an offer from the Red Sox in the next couple days and will make a decision soon after.

"It was nice to get drafted by them because they're a good team," Rogers said. "They had been looking at me pretty hard. They called me a couple rounds before (the 29th). I was hoping they would draft me, but they kept taking different guys. Finally, they did it."

-- BOB PUTNAM, BRYAN BURNS

Ex-Bull goes in the ninth round

Florida State senior and Bloomingdale High standout right-hander Ryan Strauss was drafted in the ninth round (270th overall) by the Chicago White Sox. Strauss entered Super Regional play with a 9-1 record, four saves and a 4.58 ERA. He was 20-4 in his career.

Brian Landman

Servidio taken in 26th round by the Mets

Former Ridgewood star John Servidio was selected with the 794th pick in the 26th round of the MLB draft by the New York Mets. The Barry University senior hit .366 with 14 home runs, 69 RBIs and four triples. He was a second-team all-Sunshine State Conference and all-South Region pick. Servidio helped the Rams to four consecutive playoff appearances including a run to the state title game in 2002 before his graduation in 2004.

-- IZZY GOULD
izzygould@gmail.com

Erik Turgeon picked in 25th round

UConn and former Dunedin standout Erik Turgeon was selected in the 25th round (764 overall) by the New York Mets. Turgeon was an all-suncoast selection for four years with the Falcons and was named to the all-state team. He is the older brother of Dunedin freshman second baseman Casey Turgeon, who helped lead the Falcons to their first state title since 1964.

-- BOB PUTNAM

Yankees take Maruszak in 17th round

How's this for finishing a season strong: USF junior shortstop and former St. Petersburg Catholic star Addison Maruszak was selected by the New York Yankees in the 17th round of Friday's baseball draft.

Maruszak, of course, traded jabs with Yankees phenom Joba Chamberlain at USF's leadoff banquet before the season, then got to meet Derek Jeter and Co. when the Bulls played an exhibition against the Yankees at Legends Field in February. Want more? Check out the May 29 edition of USF's student paper, The Oracle, where staff writer Martin Bader asked Maruszak which team he'd like to draft him.

"I don't really have a team preference, but it would be awesome to play for the New York Yankees," Maruszak told the Oracle.

One more USF-Yankees tie in: Bulls volunteer assistant Tino Martinez was the Yankees' official representative at the draft in Orlando. There's been talk that Maruszak could be drafted as a catcher, but MLB.com lists him as a shortstop in its online draft tracker.

Maruszak is the second Bulls player drafted, following right-handed pitcher Daniel Thomas (13th round, Athletics). He's the 11th Bulls player drafted by the Yankees, joining the likes of Brian Baisley and Scott Glaser in recent years.

-- GREG AUMAN

HCC pitcher selected in 19th round

Hillsborough Community College pitcher Bruce Pugh was selected by the Twins in 19th round with the 576th overall pick.

Pugh, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound right-hander from Pasadena, Md., was 2-4 with a 5.71 ERA this past season as a sophomore.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Middleton's Mallard goes in 17th round to Angels

Power-hitting first baseman Jamie Mallard was the second Middleton player drafted on the draft's second day, selected by the Angles in the 17th round with the 529th overall pick.

"We knew they really liked him," Mallard's mother, Kim, said of the Angels. She said that the Angels scouted Mallard at a workout held at Tampa Catholic.

Mallard's Middleton teammate Corey Thomas was selected by the Orioles in the 13th round.

The 6-foot, 265-pound Mallard is a UCF signee.

"He's in a great situation right now," Kim Mallard said, saying that if a deal isn't good for Mallard, the choice to go to college while trying to raise his draft status is an easy one.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Ex-Gaither standout Pardo selected in 12th round

Former Gaither standout Braulio Pardo, a catcher at Saint Leo, was drafted by the Angels in the 12th round with the 379th overall selection.

A 6-foot, 190-pound switch-hitting catcher, Pardo, who transferred from USF after playing two seasons there, hit .356 this past season as a junior in his only season at Saint Leo. He was a first-team all-Sunshine State Conference selection, hitting three homers and 21 RBIs with six doubles, two triples and 35 runs scored.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

(Photo: Saint Leo University)

Weber goes in 12th round

Ryan Weber spent Thursday watching the draft on the television and on the Internet. And he watched. And watched. After being projected to go in rounds 3-5 by his advisors, Weber was not selected on Day 1. But it didn't take long for him to go on Day 2.

Weber, a right-hander, was selected by the Phillies in the 12th round. He had a hunch the Phillies would take him condsidering they were the team that had the most contact with him leading up to the draft.

"(The Phillies) called early Thursday morning and wanted to know if I would sign if they picked me," Weber said. "I said I would listen and consider it as long as they treated me fairly whatever round I went."

It is unclear whether Weber will sign or play for the University of Florida next season. He said he would forgo college and start his MLB career if taken in the first five rounds. He said he didn't know what he would do if he was selected after that.

"I don't what the money would be at this point," Weber said. "I haven't got that far in discussions. But I'll at least negotiate with them."

Weber didn't have a big party on either day of the draft. He simply watched with his family. After he was picked, he celebrated by playing golf with his dad.

"It's a relief to have it over," Weber said.

-- BOB PUTNAM

Middleton's Thomas chosen by Baltimore in Round 13

Middleton P/SS Corey Thomas became the third Hillsborough County player selected in the MLB first-year player draft after he was selected by the Orioles in the 13th round with the 386th overall pick.

Thomas is signed to play at USF, so it will be interesting to see if the Orioles can sign him. After Sunday's Hillsborough/Pinellas All-Star Game at Tropicana Field, he said he had hoped to be selected in the first five rounds.

But Thomas was still excited at the prospect of turning pro and said he would only go to college if Baltimore's deal was "unreasonable." “All I wanted was an opportunity to play pro ball,” Thomas said. “I’m excited that they’ve given me a change to play. It’s been a roller coaster, all these ups and downs. … I think my future right now is being a professional baseball player. I’m excited to get it going." "Right now, I'm really just telling myself, 'wow,'" Thomas said. "Just going into the draft is exciting. It's not like its just Tampa or just Florida. It's the whole world."

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

St. Petersburg College quintet taken

St. Petersburg College's Jarred Holloway, one of the state of Arkansas' top prospects in 2006, was drafted in the 10th round by Houston. Holloway, a 6-3, 230-pound left-handed pitcher and Mississippi State transfer, went with the 302nd overall pick.

Shortstop Stephen Lombardozzi was taken in the 19th round, as the 571st overall pick, by Washington. Catcher Justin Dalles was taken in the 26th round (789th pick) by Toronto. Right-handed pitcher Jeffrey Walters went to Cleveland in the 30th round (921st). San Francisco took infielder Correy Figueroa in the 41st round (1227th).

Ferrara selected by Cardinals in seventh round.

His name did not get called Thursday through the first six rounds of the MLB first-year draft, but Riverview LHP Anthony Ferrara went quickly today, going to the Cardinals in the seventh round with the 215th overall pick.

Projected as a top-three round selection, scouts were obviously scared off by a biceps tendonitis injury the 6-foot-1, 175-pound Ferrara suffered after his junior season.

"It killed me," Ferrara said of the injury. "But I'm really happy I'm going to the Cardinals. They're a really good organization. Up until two weeks ago, they were one of the teams that called the most and showed the most interest."

Riverview coach Bill Leiby said that calls kept coming for Ferrara beginning in the third round Thursday, with teams trying to gauge if Ferrara would still turn pro if he wasn't picked high (He is signed to pitch at USF). Among the most interested were the Phillies, Tigers, White Sox and Brewers, so maybe other teams thought Ferrara could be a teen-round steal, but instead he went off the board early on Day 2.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Sickles' Wilson taken by Jays in second round

Sickles CF Kenny Wilson was the first Hillsborough County player selected in this year's MLB first-year player draft, taken by the Blue Jays in the second round with the 63rd overall pick.

The 6-foot, 165-pound Wilson, a Times All-Hillsborough County first teamer, led with county with 26 stolen bases and 37 runs scored. He hit .400 from the leadoff spot with eight doubles, one triple and two homers, driving in 14 runs.

"It was definitely a surprise," said Wilson, who has signed with UF. "I had heard a lot of things and I had some big expectations, but when I woke up today I had to bring myself down to earth. I didn't want to get my hopes up."

Wilson said at the beginning of the season, the buzz was that he might be a top-five round pick. As more scouts began to notice him -- his speed stands out the most -- he began believing he might be a sandwich pick.

Even as a second-round pick, Wilson is looking at a big pay day. If the signing bonus trends remain steady, he's looking at a signing bonus in the area of $650,000 as a mid-second round pick. He told the Times Thursday evening that he will likely turn pro.

"The chance to get a college education was one of the greatest things to happen to me and my family at the time," Wilson said. "But I've always wanted to play professional baseball and if I was to turn that down and go to up there and I got hurt or something and I never got that opportunity again, I think I'd go crazy."

Wilson has spent the past several days attending pre-draft workouts. He participated in a Yankees workout at Legends Field, traveled to Atlanta to workout for the Braves and also attended a Twins workout.

He didn't attend a Blue Jays workout, but a scout saw him take about 500 swings at a batting practice after the season.

-EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Waiting time for Ferrara

As the first round of the draft winds down, it appears Riverview LHP Anthony Ferrara likely will get selected anywhere from the late second round to the fourth round, but he could drop into the teens or 20s if teams become unconvinced of their ability to sign him, his high school coach said.

Riverview coach Bill Leiby said Ferrara's advisor told him that if Ferrara falls out of the third round, teams will start calling to see if he's still interested in signing. If he is, he could go quickly after that. But if he's not, he could fall quickly.

"We'll just have to wait and see," Leiby said. "It all depends on how many pitchers get taken early."

Six out of the first 21 picks are pitchers.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Ex-Negro Leaguer likes Middleton stars

How good of a baseball player was Billy Felder back in the 1940s? Well, consider this: He made his Negro Leagues debut with the Brooklyn Brown Dodgers in 1945, yet didn't graduate from Middleton until 1946.

Seriously.

Middleton's principal at the time gave him permission to miss a little school to jumpstart his pro career, Felder said. At the time, Middleton didn't have a team of its own. (TV interview with Felder HERE)

Felder, now 81, played professionally until 1954. His teammates during his stint in baseball included future Hall-of-Famers Larry Doby and Monte Irvin.

Today, Felder lives in Tampa and attends most Middleton games. Being an authority on baseball, we asked him to give us some insight into the skills of Tiger standouts Jamie Mallard and Corey Thomas, both of whom are likely to be taken in the Major League Baseball amateur draft, which starts today.

On Mallard, 1B: "Jamie is strong. He's real strong. He hits the ball real well. I think he’ll be able to make it. He just needs to work on getting the right pitch to swing at."

On Thomas, SS/P: "He's a real good ballplayer. I like him a lot. I like the way he handles himself. He's a nice guy. He listens to his coach. He's got skills and I think he's going to make it. He plays shortstop real well. He reminds me of James Oliver. He played with the (Negro Leagues') Indianapolis Clowns. That's who I used to try to play like."

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Weber could go early

Clearwater Central Catholic's Ryan Weber has always been a control artist, locating an array of pitches with pinpoint accuracy. Now he has speed to go with those pitches.

This past season, Weber added some velocity and touched 91-92 mph on the radar gun. That should help him go early in today's amateur draft.

Weber, a right-hander, said advisors told him he could go in rounds 3-5. If that happens, Weber said he would forgo playing for the University of Florida and start his major league career. Two others that could go today are Clearwater Central Catholic's Sam Mende and Dunedin's Jake Rogers.

-- BOB PUTNAM

Where will Mallard go?

Middleton senior Jamie Mallard has drawn a crowd for a long time for his ability to hit tape-measure home runs. Mallard is the same kid who was featured in Sports Illustrated at the age of 12.

Now, he is one of tomorrow's MLB first-year player draft's most intriguing prospects. Everyone knows about his ability to hit for power, but where does he fit in the field? Where will a team take a chance on him? And can he be the next Ryan Howard or Walter Young?

Mallard participated in 12 pre-draft tryouts with major league teams, Jamie's mother, Kim, said Wednesday. And organizations have been impressed. He cleared the centerfield fence at the Twins' spring training home in Fort Myers. At a workout for the Nationals, a player personnel director plucked out Mallard to see one more round of swings. And at a workout for the Yankees at Legends Field this past weekend, which was also attended by locals Corey Thomas (Middleton), Anthony Ferrara (Riverview), Kenny Wilson (Sickles) and Alex Panteliodis (Alonso), players took special notice when Mallard stepped to the plate.

"They all leaned up against the railing of the dugout to watch," Kim Mallard said. "They we're joking he could hit the car dealership (beyond the leftfield fence on Dale Mabry Highway)."

At all 12 workouts, Mallard worked out at first base.

Mallard's mother said they'll keep tabs on the draft live online.

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

MLB Draft: Where our stars were taken

A look at some of the top Hillsborough County players in the Major Leagues and where they were drafted ...

Wade Boggs, Plant: Taken by the Boston Red Sox in the 7th round of the 1976 amateur draft. Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

Chone Figgins, Brandon: Taken by the Colorado Rockies in the 4th round of the 1997 amateur draft. Has .293 career average.

Steve Garvey, Chamberlain: Taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1st round (13th pick) of the 1968 amateur draft. Had 2,599 career hits.

Luis Gonzalez, Jefferson: Taken by the Houston Astros in the 4th round of the 1988 amateur draft. Still active, has 2,547 hits and 350 homers.

Dwight Gooden, Hillsborough: Taken by the New York Mets in the 1st round (5th pick) of the 1982 amateur draft. Won Cy Young Award in 1985.

Tino Martinez, Jefferson: Taken by the Seattle Mariners in the 1st round (14th pick) of the 1988 amateur draft. Hit 339 homers and 365 doubles during career.

Fred McGriff, Jefferson: Taken by the New York Yankees in the 9th round of the 1981 amateur draft. Finished career with 493 homers and a .284 average.

Kenny Rogers, Plant City: Taken by the Texas Rangers in the 39th round of the 1982 amateur draft. Pitcher has 214 career wins.

Gary Sheffield, Hillsborough: Taken by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1st round (6th pick) of the 1986 amateur draft. Has 483 homeruns and a career .294 average.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

2007 MLB draft: a year later

A look at last year's top Hillsborough County draft picks and what they're doing now ...

No. 49 (Washington), Michael Burgess, Hillsborough, OF: Burgess picked the pros over Arizona State, signing with the Nationals for a $630,000 signing bonus. Currently playing for the Hagerstown Suns of the Class A South Atlantic League. Hitting .256 with 12 homers and 39 RBIs.

No. 89 (White Sox),  Nevin Griffith, Middleton, P: Griffith, a right-hander, signed with the White Sox for a bonus of $382,000. Currently playing for the Bristol Sox of the (Rookie) Appalachian League.

No. 117 (San Diego), Tommy Toledo, Alonso, P: The right-hander decided not to sign with the Padres and instead went to the University of Florida. As a freshman, Toledo went 4-4 with a 4.40 ERA.

No. 467 (Cleveland), Chris Jones, Gaither, P: Taken in the 15th round, the left-hander signed with the Indians for a package worth more than $350,000. He got that largely because of his play last summer, where he posted a 1.65 ERA with the Midland (Ohio) Redskins travel team. Currently playing for the Lake County Captains of the Class A South Atlantic League. 

No. 1048 (Minnesota), Stephen Branca, Newsome, IF: Signed with UCF and played in 26 games with three starts. Batted .111.

No. 1452, Chris Freshcorn (Minnesota), Alonso, C/IF: Signed with Florida and played in 11 games.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Exciting days for Ferrara

Today is graduation day for Riverview's Anthony Ferrara. Tomorrow, he could find out his first employer.

The left-handed ace likely will be the first high schooler from Hillsborough County drafted in tomorrow's 2008 MLB first-year player draft. With these things, there's nothing to say where he will go, but Riverview coach Bill Leiby said the buzz is that Ferrara will get selected in the first three rounds.

He has the tools major league teams like. He has thrown 93 mph as well as a hard-biting curveball and he spent this past season developing a third pitch, a change-up, that he could throw for strikes.

"Whatever happens, there's no way I can lose," said Ferrara, who is signed to play collegiately at USF. "If everything is right, how can you not go with that offer to play pro ball. If everything is right, I couldn't see myself not going and taking advantage of it. ...But the way I look at it USF has one of the best programs in the country in my opinion."

But Ferrara, who was 4-4 with a 2.74 ERA in 46 innings as a senior and tallied a 19-6 career varsity record, doesn't plan to focus his day on waiting for the call.

"I've got family in town for my graduation," Ferrara said. "So maybe we'll go to the beach. I know that night, I'll go see some of my old (Riverview) teammates down in Sarasota. They have a tournament down there. I want to make it like any other day. 

He's ranked the 189th best prospect in this year's draft class  by Baseball America, a number Ferrara said "I know I'm better than."

You can check out some scouting reports -- some dated from early in the high school season -- of Ferrara. Click here for his MLB.com scouting report and click here for another scouting report, this one from tackkle.com.

You can read more about Ferrara in tomorrow's Times. You can follow the draft live on MLB.com. Stay tuned for live updates on tampabay.com

-- EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Middleton's Thomas can't wait

Middleton LHP/SS Corey Thomas has a hunch he will be selected relatively early in tomorrow's MLB first-year player draft.

"I'm hearing that a few teams are pretty high on me," Thomas said. "I'm anxious to see what's going to happen."

Thomas is one of the county's top draft prospects. Scouts flocked to Middleton during the season to clock his fastball, watch him play shortstop and swing his powerful bat. During the high school baseball season, Middleton coach Vernon Slater said he believed Thomas would be drafted in the first five rounds.

Thomas' fastball peaks at around 93 and his curveball can be a nice strikeout pitch. He rebounded from some early struggles on the mound to lower his ERA to 4.30. He was 2-3 for a Middleton team that hovered around .500 all year long, striking out 45 in 39 innings. At the plate, he hit .347 with five homers and 20 RBIs.

Tomorrow, a lot of waiting, and wondering, will end.

"A lot of hard work has been put into it," Thomas said. "I just wish I could live it out like a regular day and someone could just tell me because I'm so excited that I think about it too much. Sometimes I just go crazy."

--  EDUARDO A. ENCINA