Thursday, June 5, 2003 | 9 a.m.
Las Vegas' reputation as a baseball breeding ground received another big boost Wednesday.
Another 12 players with ties to the Valley were chosen in rounds 21 through 50 of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft, bringing the two-day total to 22. The list includes local players at the junior college and Division I levels, as well as soon-to-be high school graduates.
The first local selection on the second day was Matt Elliott, who went to the Cleveland Indians in the 22nd round. Elliot, a former all-state pick at Basic High School, is a freshman pitcher at Dixie State College (Utah) who went 7-3 with a 1.29 ERA for the Rebels this season. Elliot struck out 70 and also pitched five complete games.
Elliot's Dixie teammate Skyler Southwick, a fellow Basic High graduate, went to the Chicago Cubs in the 38th round. Southwick, also a freshman, compiled a 4-3 record and a 3.69 ERA with 44 strikeouts for the Rebels. He also threw two shutouts.
Former Palo Verde standout Brandon Kintzler was chosen by the New York Yankees in the 40th round. A freshman right-hander, Kintzler put together a strong season for Pasadena City College.
A handful of local high schoolers were chosen on day two of the draft, including two more from state champion Green Valley. Left-hander Ryan Tabor went to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 46th round, and second baseman Kyle Price was tabbed by the Atlanta Braves in the 49th round.
Green Valley's Jordan Parraz went in the sixth round to the Phillies Tuesday, meaning that a third of the Gators' starting lineup was chosen. Tabor, also a UNLV signee, is likely to go with his college scholarship for now.
"I think it says good things about Henderson baseball," Gators coach Nick Garritano said.
Two more Henderson-area players were selected in the late rounds Wednesday. Foothill catcher Spud Low was a 41st-round choice of the Chicago Cubs, and Silverado third baseman Ryan Castellanos was picked by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 41st round as well.
Cimarron-Memorial right-hander Garrett Kohler was a 31st-round selection of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kohler's Cimarron teammate, Mike Dunn, was chosen Tuesday by the Houston Astros in the 14th round, but he plans to attend Community College of Southern Nevada.
More CCSN players who grew up in Las Vegas heard their names called Wednesday, but most will stay with the junior college champion Coyotes. CCSN lefty Tyler Coon (Giants/26th round), right-hander Jeff Jacobsen (Yankees/32nd) and shortstop Sean Kazmar (Athletics/37th) plan to return for another season.
CCSN's Don Sutton (Athletics) and Jino Gonzalez (Devil Rays) both signed contracts immediately after the Coyotes' championship with clubs that selected them in the 2002 MLB draft.
UNLV third baseman Brent Johnson, a Durango High graduate, was the 44th-round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays. He was the only Rebel selected on the second day after four UNLV picks in the first 20 rounds.
Two other Rebels recruits were chosen Wednesday. Kevin Skogley, a left-hander from Oregon, was tabbed by the Dodgers in the 25th round, and Jarod Estey, an outfielder from Colorado, was the 45th-round selection of the Phillies.
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