I’ve been working hard and it’s a good chance that it’s going to happen,” Gomez said this week. “I’m hoping to get drafted in a good round and get a good offer. While he is the only current high school prospect from the Coachella Valley with draft potential, former Palm Desert High School catcher/outfielder Dave Schuknecht is available out of Riverside City College, as is former Indio High School pitcher Edgar Gomez, who played for RCC last year as well, after spending a year at Long Beach State. But he’s risen to the occasion in championship games.”Įarman weighs in at 190 pounds, and stands 6-4. “If you look at (Earman’s) physical size, based upon his physicality, he’s a first-round kid,” Salazar said, “but he’s a late bloomer, so people wonder how he’s going to do against good hitters. “He’s a very signable kid.”Įarman finished his senior year with Desert Christian Academy with a 12-1 record, one save, and an ERA of 0.290, en route to a CIF Southern Section Division VI championship. It’s a crap shoot, but I think he’ll go somewhere between (rounds) two and 10, as long as he doesn’t ask for a ridiculous amount of money,” Starke says. Taylor Ward, of Shadow Hills High School, was selected in the 31st round by the Rays, and Ryan Garvey, of Palm Desert High School, was drafted in the 33rd round by the Rockies.Īndrew Starke, who owns the Palm Springs Power, and is also a scout with the Philadelphia Phillies, believes Earman will be a second-day pick. Fellow Aztec Ricky Gingras was picked in the 18th round by the Astros. Last year four players with roots in the Coachella Valley were drafted: Tanner Rahier, of Palm Desert High School, was taken by the Reds in the second round. Rounds three through 10 will begin Friday at 10 a.m., and rounds 11 through 40 will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. The first two rounds of the draft will be held today at 4 p.m., and will be televised on the MLB Network. “I think he’ll end up somewhere between two and five.” “I think there’s a chance he might get a phone call the first day, but if not, I’m sure he’ll get a call the second day,” says his high school coach, Mark Salazar. What he won’t acknowledge is what “high enough” is.
But that same scout noted that his 93-mph fastball is something that cannot be ignored and is very unusual at the high school level.Įarman has not ruled out college, with his top two schools being Long Beach State and the University of San Diego, but he has acknowledged that he will sign with a pro team if drafted high enough. Local coaches and insiders project Earman to go no later than the 10th or 11th round, with some predicting him to go as high as the second.īaseball America has Earman ranked as the 420th available prospect, which would place him somewhere in the 15th round.Ī scout from the Chicago Cubs who watched one of his high school playoff games, called him “extremely raw” adding that he would need to be molded as he matures.
He’s been tailed by a virtual horde of radar-gun-toting pro scouts, who were at every high school game in which he took the mound.
Topping the list is fireball throwing pitcher Morgan Earman out of Desert Christian Academy, who burst onto the scene this year, sporting a fastball that peaks around 93-94 mph. This year’s draft class may be small, but the cream of the crop could be as good as any in recent history. The climate of high school baseball in the desert has been rising the last few years, with CIF championships and players being drafted as high as the second round of the MLB draft.