June 6, 2006 ASHLEY, OMOGROSSO SELECTED IN SIXTH ROUND OF MLB DRAFT TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State juniors Nevin Ashley and Brian Omogrosso were both selected in the sixth round of 2006 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday afternoon. Ashley was picked 169th overall by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the third pick in the sixth round, while Omogrosso was selected with the 195th pick by the Chicago White Sox. The sixth round is the highest a Sycamore has been selected in the MLB draft since outfielder Jason Frome was a third round pick by the Colorado Rockies in 2001. Omogrosso is the highest pitcher selected out of ISU since Alex Graman was picked in the third round by the New York Yankees in 1999. Ashley had an outstanding junior campaign for the Sycamores and has already garnered First Team All-MVC honors and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Region plaudits for his efforts. He finished the season ranking in the top 10 of eight different offensive categories among the conference elite. Ashley led the Sycamores with a .382 batting average, 10 home runs and 42 runs batted in, and led the league with seven triples and a .653 slugging percentage. He also registered an MVC season-high 22-game hitting streak at the beginning of the year and was named the MVC Player of the Week on March 20. Omogrosso came back from a medical redshirt to anchor the Sycamore bullpen in his junior season and earned Second Team All-MVC honors for the second time in his career. Omogrosso led the Sycamores with a 1.51 ERA and four saves and posted 37 strikeouts in 41.2 innings of action as the ISU stopper. His 11 saves at ISU ranks fifth on the career list. The two Sycamores were a couple of the eight Missouri Valley Conference players selected in the first nine rounds of the MLB draft. The two-day 2006 MLB Draft will conclude on Wednesday, June 7. |