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Five Wildcats selected in baseball draft; UA recruit will sign with Cubs

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

Arizona's Cole Frenzel is tagged out at third base during a game at ASU in March. Photo by Michael Chow/The Arizona Republic

Junior pitcher Kyle Simon led five Arizona Wildcats who were selected on the second day of the major league baseball draft.

The Baltimore Orioles selected Simon, a 6-foot-5 right-hander, in the fourth round with the 125th overall selection. He had an 11-3 record and a 2.72 ERA this season.

Bryce Bandilla, a left-handed junior reliever, was taken by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round (147th overall). He was 5-3 with a 3.66 ERA in 2011.

First baseman Cole Frenzel, a draft-eligible sophomore who hit .346 this season, was taken by the New York Mets in the seventh round (222nd overall)

Infielder Andy Burns, who was not eligible this season following his transfer from Kentucky, went in the 11th round (349th overall) to the Toronto Blue Jays.

And the Atlanta Braves picked up left-handed pitcher Matt Chaffee in the 12th round (386th overall). The team’s closer this season, Chaffee was 6-3 with a 4.85 ERA and seven saves.

Among the Arizona recruiting class, Tayler Scott, a pitcher from Scottsdale Notre Dame, was selected in the fifth round by the Chicago Cubs. He told the Arizona Republic that he will sign a pro contract as he pursues his dream of being the first South African to reach the major leagues.

Arizona Wildcats notebook: New OL, Jamelle Horne, baseball transfer, softball stuff

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

Fabbians Ebbele, from Chicago, should be one of the new building blocks for the offensive line/Photo by Brad Allis, WildcatSportsReport.com

You might not have been able to tell from the kind of vocabulary offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh was using during Monday’s practice, but he seems to really like his young offensive linemen.

It’s this group of four true freshmen, combined with three redshirt freshman offensive linemen from the class of 2009, that will be the future foundation of everything the Wildcats want to do on offense.

For now, the true freshmen might give up a speed rush to Brooks Reed coming off the edge in practice. They might not go hard every time from snap to whistle. That’s OK. It’s early. What is encouraging is they look the part.

Mickey Baucus, Fabbians Ebbele, Carter Lees and Trent Spurgeon are part of what appears to be Mike Stoops’ most physically impressive freshman class.

“These guys, there are all in the 6-6 to 6-8 range, and they all have long arms, and they are all 290 to 300 pounds. They’re athletes,” Bedenbaugh, also the co-offensive coordinator, said of his linemen.

“But the biggest thing is, just mentally picking up the game. They’re getting a lot of reps right now, but it’s going to take some time.”

With six seniors and one junior (guard Vaughn Dotsy) in the two-deep, Arizona doesn’t have much margin or error with injuries. The experience drops off quickly. Redshirt freshman Eric Bender-Ramsay is listed as a possible backup at left tackle. Chris Putton is a second-stringer at left guard.

The opportunity could be there for a true freshman.

“We’ve got to have one of them develop in case we get into a situation where we need them,” Bedenbaugh said.

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