Published: June 10, 2009 10:40 pm      

Former Hornet hurler selected in MLB draft

San Francisco Giants take Toole with sixth pick in 10th round

The day that former Huntsville baseball standout Jeremy Toole has been waiting for since he was youngster finally came.

The 6-3, hard-throwing righthander was selected in the 10th round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft by the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. Toole was the sixth pick in the round and was the 297th selection overall after completing his junior year at Brigham Young University.

“I’m very pumped right now,” Toole said Wednesday afternoon. “This is something I have been looking forward to my whole life. I have always wanted to be a major league pitcher.”

Toole was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 41st round following his senior year at Huntsville in 2006. He elected to go to Alvin Community College to improve his draft status. He went 5-2 in 2007 and 2-1 in 2008.

Toole eventually signed with BYU because he liked head coach Vance Law and the Cougar coaching staff and believed they could help him develop into a professional pitcher.

“I really liked the coaching staff at BYU,” Toole said. “Coach Law played in the major league for 10 years, so I knew he could help me get there. That has always been my dream.”

Toole started 14 games in 2009 and went 5-5 with a 5.77 earned run average. He also struck out 68 batters in 82 2/3 innings.

Toole had several impressive performances this past season for the Cougars. He tossed a three-hitter and struck out nine in a 4-1 victory over Utah and held Western Carolina to four hits in a 1-0 win in which he recorded 10 strikeouts in seven innings. He also struck out eight in eight innings to lead BYU over San Diego State 6-2.

“(The Giants) told me that they like what I bring to the table,” Toole said. “I’m a power pitcher and that is what they like. They feel like I can perform at the next level and I think it is a good place for me because they have good pitching.”

Toole was one of four current BYU players to get picked in the first two days of the draft joining third baseman Steve Parker (fifth round, Oakland Athletics), outfielder Stetson Banks (22nd round, Los Angeles Dodgers) and designated hitter Kent Walton (23rd round, Oakland).

“We are happy for these players to get drafted and have that opportunity to go to the next level,” Law said in a press release. “I am particularly pleased for Parker and Toole because they have worked hard to get to this point.”

Toole said that he hasn’t been in much contact with the Giants since being selected, but he said that would change once the draft ends.

“The scout told me to hang loose for now,” Toole said. “They want to wait and finish the draft then we will start talking about contract stuff.”



SHSU pitcher selected by Toronto

Ryan Tepera, a 6-0 righthanded pitcher for Sam Houston State, was selected in the 19th round of the Major League Baseball draft Wednesday afternoon by the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Lake Jackson Brazoswood High School product pitched in 20 games as a junior this season for the Bearkats, posting a 2-1 record with 36 strike outs in 43 innings.

Tepera is a two-year letterman for Sam Houston after transferring from Blinn College in 2007. He threw in 13 games as a Bearkat sophomore in 2008.

A total of 33 Sam Houston State baseball players have been drafted in previous years.