2013 MLB Draft: Day 3 for the St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals had drafted players on Saturday in rounds 11 through 40 of 2013 First-Year Player Draft.

Round 11, Pick 335 RHP Stephen Farinaro, Head Royce HS (Hayward, Calif.)
“We are all very excited that Steven was selected by the Cardinals,” said Head Royce coach Mike Talps. “They are a class organization in a great baseball city. They are getting an excellent pitcher, outstanding teammate, a hard worker, and a quality individual.”

Round 12, Pick 365 OF Ricardo Bautista, Ladislao Martinez HS (Vega Alta, Puerto Rico)

Round 13, Pick 395 OF Jimmy Bosco, Menlo College (Granite Bay, Calif.)
“I’m so happy for Jimmy to get the opportunity to play at the next level, and have all the confidence in the world that he will do whatever it takes to get to the big league level,” said Menlo coach Stefan McGovern. “Jimmy is a special type of player that some coaches get the opportunity to coach once in a lifetime, and I’m very thankful for the opportunity to coach him and know him over the past year. Jimmy is a great all-around player, who is always working to get better. Jimmy can run, hit, hit for power, throw, and defend, and any team will be lucky for having him on their roster. Despite only being here at Menlo for a year, he provided great leadership for our team, given his Division I experience and knowledge as a baseball player. He took guys under his wing and helped them become better ballplayers and better people. Jimmy made our team better, not only for his performance on the field, but also because of the person he is off the field.

Round 14, Pick 425 C Elier Rodriguez, Immaculata-LaSalle HS (Miami, Fla.)
“Elier was special since he arrived here at LaSalle in 9th grade,” said Immaculata-LaSalle coach Oscar Benitez. “The first time I saw him hit the baseball and heard that distinct sound, I knew that this kid was going to be a pro player.

“By his sophomore year, he was already batting third in the lineup. He never looked back. Elier dominated high school baseball for three solid years (10th, 11th, and 12th grade).

“I will always remember that sound of his bat hitting the baseball. It has a different sound to it. Power all fields with a great understanding of the strike zone.

“I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful young man in our program. One of a kind.”

Round 15, Pick 455 OF DeAndre Asbury-Heath, Brookland-Cayce HS (Columbia, S.C.)

“DeAndre is a tireless worker with great personality and good character,” said coach Charles Assey. “He will be very successful in whatever he does but he is the kind of kid that will have legit shot to be successful in professional baseball because he wants to get better, has an aptitude for learning, and tireless work ethic. He has a great smile and high energy personality. He is a good teammate and loyal player. Wish I had about 8 more DeAndre’s each year.”

Round 16, Pick 485 RHP Blake Higgins, Jackson CC (Mount Pleasant, Mich.)
“I am so happy for Blake,” said Jackson CC baseball coach Rick Smith. “He has worked hard in his two years at Jackson Community College and has represented the program in a professional manner. Blake will also represent the Cardinals organization the same way and he will give it his best shot with the opportunity given to him by the Cardinals. The JET family wishes Blake the best and will be his best fans.”

Round 17, Pick 515 INF Richy Pedroza, Cal-State Fullerton
He was the 2013 Big West Defensive Player of the Year.

Round 18, Pick 545 SS J.J. Altobelli, University of Oregon
“I am excited that J.J. has the opportunity to continue his baseball career in the St. Louis Cardinals organization,” said Oregon coach George Horton. “He was a cornerstone to us building a brand new program into a one that earned back-to-back national seeds in the NCAA Tournament. In addition to drafting what I think was college baseball’s best defensive shortstop, the Cardinals organization is getting a first-class person who will make the Ducks and Cardinals proud on and off the field.”

Round 19, Pick 575 SS Michael Schulze, Missouri Western

Round 20, Pick 605 LHP Chase Brookshire, Belmont
“I am very happy for and proud of Chase,” said Belmont coach Dave Jarvis. “There is a high correlation between the success the program has had with Chase’s presence on the mound over the last four years.”

Round 21, Pick 635 RHP Zach Loraine, Coker College
“Zach is such a tremendous talent and impact player,” said head baseball coach Dave Schmotzer. “We may never see another player like him here. There’s no way we have the success we had this season without Zach Loraine this year. He has an uncanny ability to get better and perform well under high-pressure situations.

“I’m so proud to have been able to coach such a fine young man. The Cardinals are getting a first-class worker and an even better individual. We wish him the best of luck and will certainly be following his journey.”

Round 22, Pick 665 C Luke Voit, Missouri State
“Luke is a very durable receiver, who did a great job of handling our staff for four years,” said head coach Keith Guttin.

Round 23, Pick 695 C Alex DeLeon, Kansas
“He’s an outstanding young man,” said Kansas coach Ritch Price in a phone interview last night. “He had a great senior year. It’s been a pleasure to watch his development for the last four years. He has the versatility to not only catch but he’s also an outstanding defensive player at first base. He’s a gap to gap hitter who has some juice and then (inaudible) home runs. He’s also a Southern California guy that’s very popular with his teammates. I think your fans will very much enjoy his personality and watching him play this summer.”

Round 24, Pick 725 OF Devante Lacy, Cedar Valley College
“Devante is a first-rate ball-player who distinguishes himself from others by his enthusiasm and his ability to perform in crucial game situations,” said Cedar Valley College coach Robert Dally. It came as no surprise to me, therefore, when he was immediately recognized for his great aptitude and was being recruited by four-year programs and scouted by professional scouts to continue his baseball career. Yet, aside from his ability to perform his duties well on the diamond, I have an even greater respect for Devante as a person. Devante is dependable, trustworthy, and exceptionally kind. His generosity towards others speaks volumes about his character and everyone who is fortunate to have crossed paths with Devante speaks of him in the highest terms. It was a privilege to have had the opportunity to have coached Devante this spring. He played a huge role in the success of our team this past season!”

Round 25, Pick 755 RHP Michael Holback, Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo

Round 26, Pick 785 RHP Will Anderson, Cal State Monterey Bay

Round 27, Pick 815 1B Jake Stone, Tennessee Wesleyan College
“The Tennessee Wesleyan program is extremely happy for Jake and his family on being drafted into the Cardinals organization,” said TWC coach Billy Berry. “He has been a great player for us for two years and we wish him the best as he starts his pro career!”

Round 28, Pick 845 1B Justin Ringo, Stanford

Round 29, Pick 875 LHP Bryan Radziewski, Miami (Fla.)

Round 30, Pick 905 RHP Trey Nielsen, Utah
“We’re very excited for Trey to start his professional career,” said Utah coach Bill Kinneberg. “He’s got a lot of upside pitching. He was a two-way player here and now that he’ll concentrate on one thing I think he will really benefit from that on the pitching side. Great arm, good stuff, just needs some seasoning now. We’re very happy for him and hopefully he’ll move quickly.”

Round 31, Pick 935 RHP Calvin Munson, Francis Howell High School (St. Charles, Mo.)
“Could not happen to a better individual,” said Francis Howell coach Tony Perkins.

Round 32, Pick 965 Kyle Webb, Elon

Round 33, Pick 995 RHP Nick Frey, TCU
“We are excited for Nick to join such a great organization as the St. Louis Cardinals,” said TCU coach James Schlossnagle. “When he is healthy, he can pitch in a variety of roles and, at times, his breaking ball and change-up have been as good as we have had at TCU. We hope, in time, he can join other former TCU players, Matt Carpenter and Chad Huffman, as Cardinals.”

Round 34, Pick 1025 LHP Nick Lomascolo, Catawba College
“I am extremely happy for Nick to have the opportunity to not only play professional baseball but to get to do it in a first class organization,” said Catawba College coach Jim Gantt. “We are proud of his accomplishments while at Catawba and look forward to seeing him develop for the Cardinals.”

Round 35, Pick 1055 OF Vaughn Bryan, Broward College
“Obviously, we could not be happier for Vaughn,” said Broward coach Bob Deutschman. “Vaughn represents everything you could want of a player at our level. Great person, student and teammate and obviously talented evident in his selection in the draft. We truly believe the Cardinals selection of Vaughn will prove to be a great pick in the years to come.”

Round 36, Pick 1085 RHP Anthony Ray, St. Rita High School (Chicago, Ill.)
“I would say Anthony is a great teammate—a great team player with tremendous ability, a tremendous upside,” said St. Rita baseball coach Mike Zunica. “We’re excited to see him get a chance to play professionally.”

Round 37, Pick 1115 2B A.J. Kruzel, Sinclair CC
Son of Johnson City Cardinals manager Joe Kruzel.

“Being drafted is a tremendous honor, and I’m happy that AJ was able to experience it,” said Sinclair coach Stephen Dintaman. “I can’t say one negative thing about AJ as a person or a player. I really enjoyed coaching him this past season and I wish him the best of luck.”

Round 38, Pick 1145 RHP Blake McKnight, Evangel
“It’s hard to sum up Blake in just a quote,” said Evangel coach Lance Quessenberry.” He is really the total package. He is a guy of high character, strong work ethic, high intelligence (2 time Academic All-American), and fierce competitiveness…and at the same time being one of the most humble guys I have ever met. I am very excited for him. Nobody deserves it more and it couldn’t have happened to a better guy.

“Being at an NAIA school, he was way under the radar. I really believe the Cardinals are going to be very pleased with the value they are getting with Blake in the 38th round. I believe he is very capable of competing at the next level.”

Round 39, Pick 1175 RHP Kevin Herget, Kean
NJAC Male Athlete of the Year, NJAC and NJCBA Pitcher of the Year, he finished his collegiate career as Kean’s all-time leader in pitching victories, innings pitched and strikeouts. A two-time NJAC all-conference selection, he finished the 2013 season as the league-leader in earned run average, innings pitched, strikeouts, and games started.

“When I heard Kevin was drafted, I was in the mall with my wife and I started shaking and crying with tears of joy,” said Kean coach Neil Ioviero. “It was not because we had someone drafted; we have had players drafted/signed throughout the years. It was because instantly I started remembering how long and hard he has worked for this. His level of commitment and passion for the game is unmatched. He can hold his own with anyone because he has the stuff to get people out. I texted him to make sure you thank your parents and most of all thank God.”

Round 40, Pick 1205 RHP Arturo Reyes, Gonzaga
“I am very happy for Arturo,” said Gonzaga coach Mark Machtolf. “I am glad his body of work this year was noticed and I think this is a huge compliment to him and the entire Gonzaga pitching staff. He filled many roles for us this year from starting to closing games and did so admirably. He is a great club house guy and always came in ready to compete.”