BATON ROUGE — LSU senior catcher Matt Liuzza and junior right-handed pitcher Edgar Ramirez were selected Wednesday in the Major League Baseball first-year player draft.
Liuzza, a native of Metairie, La., was selected in the 19th round by the Toronto Blue Jays, while Ramirez, a Miami native, was chosen in the 36th round by the New York Mets.
Three LSU signees were also selected Wednesday ? outfielder Lee Haydel of Riverside Academy in Reserve, La. (19th round, Milwaukee); right-handed pitcher T.J. Forrest of Haughton (La.) High School (44th round, Florida); and outfielder Jamie Johnson of West Ouachita High School in West Monroe, La. (50th round, Colorado).
Liuzza, a 30th-round selection in the 2005 draft by the Chicago Cubs, improved his stock at LSU this season by hitting .317 (58-for-183) with 13 doubles, three homers and 21 RBI. A career .305 hitter at LSU, Liuzza started in 212 games, the most by a catcher in school history.
Ramirez made 17 appearances on the mound for the Tigers this season, recording a 2-1 mark and a 6.69 ERA. He registered 19 walks and 38 strikeouts in 35 innings of work.
The selections of Liuzza and Ramirez on Wednesday increased LSU’s number of players potentially joining MLB organizations to four. LSU senior pitcher Will Harris was selected Tuesday in the ninth round by the Colorado Rockies, and senior outfielder Quinn Stewart signed a free-agent deal with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Three LSU baseball signees were selected in the draft Tuesday ? infielder Ryan Adams of Jesuit High School in New Orleans (2nd round, 58th pick, Baltimore); infielder Stephen King of Winter Park High School in Orlando, Fla. (3rd round, 91st pick, Washington); and infielder Jacob Blackwood of Maplewoods (Mo.) Community College (16th round, 485th pick, Florida).
LSU received a national letter-of-intent this week from Blackwood, who is a 6-0, 195-pound right-handed batter. He was the 40th-round selection of the New York Mets in the 2005 draft.
Another LSU signee, infielder Milton Loo of Yavapai (Ariz.) Community College, signed a free-agent agreement prior to the draft with the Cincinnati Reds.
LSU Players Signed/Drafted
Name
Rd.
Pick
Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Hometown (Previous School)
Quinn Stewart*
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Rowlett, Texas (Dallas Christian HS/Odessa JC)
Will Harris
Colorado Rockies
Slidell, La. (Slidell HS)
Matt Liuzza
Toronto Blue Jays
Metairie, La. (Archbishop Rummel HS)
Edgar Ramirez
New York Mets
Miami, Fla. (Southridge HS/Florida International)
* signed as a collegiate fifth-year senior prior to the draft.
LSU 2005-06 Signees Drafted
Name
Rd.
Pick
Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Hometown (Previous School)
Milton Loo**
Cincinnati Reds
Molokai, Hawaii (Yavapai JC)
Ryan Adams
2
58
Baltimore Orioles
3B
6-0
185
Mandeville, La. (Jesuit HS)
Stephen King
3
91
Washington Nationals
SS
6-2
195
Orlando, Fla. (Winter Park HS)
Jared Mitchell***
Minnesota Twins
New Iberia, La. (Westgate HS)
Jake Blackwood
Florida Marlins
Platte City, Mo. (Maple Woods CC)
Lee Haydel
Milwaukee Brewers
Reserve, La. (Riverside Academy)
T.J. Forrest
Florida Marlins
Benton, La. (Haughton HS)
Jamie Johnson
Colorado Rockies
Calhoun, La. (West Ouachita HS)
** Draft and follow signee
*** 2006 LSU Football Signee