Three Zags Drafted On First Day Of Baseball Draft
6/3/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 3, 2003
SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga University had three players drafted on the first day of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft including a pair of players in the first 10 rounds. Errol Simonitsch and Eric Rodland were both selected in the first 10 rounds marking the first time that has happened at Gonzaga since the 1995 season when Darin Blood (3rd - San Francisco) and Scott Morgan (7th - Cleveland) were taken in the opening 10 rounds. Gordon Corder was the third player selected when the Oakland Athletics tabbed the first baseman in the 20th round. Rounds 21 thru 50 will take place on Wednesday in New York.
Simonitsch was selected in the sixth round by the Minnesota Twins, the 178th player taken overall in the 2003 Major League Baseball draft. A 6-4 junior left-hander from Glendale, Calif., Simonitsch started eight games for the Bulldogs this season finishing with a 4-3 record and 5.33 ERA. In 49 innings pitched on the season, Simonitsch recorded 58 strikeouts while walking only 14 batters. Simonitsch has one year of college eligibility remaining as he becomes the highest drafted Bulldogs player since Darin Blood was taken in the third round of the 1995 draft by the San Francisco Giants.
Rodland was selected with the third pick of the ninth round by the Detroit Tigers being the 250th player taken in the draft. Rodland was a four-year starter at second base from Snohomish, Wash., finished his career as the Bulldogs career hits leader with 269. He was named an honorable mention Freshman All-American in 2000 and followed that up with second team All-WCC honors in 2001. A first-team All-WCC selection in 2002, Rodland was named the MVP of the Alaska Summer League and a second summer team All-American as released by Baseball America. This season Rodland was named the Gonzaga Senior Athlete of the Year as he collected honorable mention All-WCC honors on his way to finished eighth all-time on the West Coast Conference career hits list.
Corder a junior first baseman from Tacoma, Wash., was a first-team All-West Coast Conference selection this year after winning the team's triple crown. Corder hit .382 with 14 home runs and 57 RBI while striking out only 13 times in 217 at-bats. Corder also finished the season with 22 doubles, the second highest single-season total in Gonzaga history. Corder has one year of college eligibility remaining after he transferred in from Big Bend Community College last season.
