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Five Lions Selected in MLB Draft
ORLANDO, Fla. - Five Lions were selected in the 2007 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft Thursday and Friday from Orlando, Fla. Eric Farris (2B/SS) and Brad Meyers (RHP) were taken in the fourth and fifth rounds during Thursday's day one, while DeAndre Miller (OF) went in the 24th round Friday. Incoming freshmen Martin Viramontes (RHP) and Joe Vierra (3B/OF) were selected in the 11th and 49th rounds as well.
Farris, the 130th overall pick, was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers, and Meyers, the 160th pick, was taken by the Washington Nationals Thursday. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim selected Viramontes 358th overall and Miller 748th Friday. Vierra was the 1,413 overall pick when Kansas City selected him in the 49th round. Farris and Meyers join the impressive list of recent Lions to be selected in the first 10 rounds. Since 2000, 13 Lions have been picked in first 10 rounds of the MLB Draft, including first round selection and current major-leaguer Billy Traber (2000). Overall, the Lions have seen 22 players drafted in June since the 2000 season, with many others going on to sign professional contracts. A native of Chandler, Ariz., Farris received All-West Coast Conference recognition in each of his three seasons in a Lion uniform. In 2007, the middle infielder led the Lions with a .349 average, 46 runs scored, 81 hits, 108 total bases, and 33 stolen bases on the season. Those numbers led to his selection as a semifinalist for USA Baseball's Golden Spikes award, placing him among the nation's top-50 players and top-20 infielders. After stealing 33 bags this season, Farris ranks fourth all-time at LMU with 60 career stolen bases, a mark he accumulated in just three years. Other notable accomplishments include stringing together a 25-game hitting streak that spanned the 2006 and 2007 seasons. That streak was the longest hitting streak since the LMU record was set at 27 in 1988. Farris, drafted out of high school by the Atlanta Braves in the 42nd round of the 2004 draft, really caught the attention of MLB teams during his summer in the Cape Cod League in 2006. There, he was the All-Cape League second baseman, a league all-star, and finished the summer season among the top-10 in batting average.
Meyers, a native of Yorba Linda, Calif., was a two-time All-West Coast Conference selection for the Lions. In 2007, the right-hander led the Lions in ERA (3.46), innings pitched (109.1), and strikeouts (85). Perhaps most impressively, Meyers worked at least six innings in each of his 15 starts during the 2007 season. He entered his junior season on the watch lists for both the Brooks Wallace and Roger Clemens Awards. Meyers' three-year career ERA of 3.65 ranks in the top-5 all-time at LMU and is the best career mark for a Lion since 1981. Drafted out of high school in the 14th round of the 2004 draft by the New York Mets, Meyers also saw his stock rise after a successful summer in the Cape Cod League. Meyers led his 2005 Orleans Cardinals to the league championship, earning playoff MVP honors in the process.
Miller was an All-WCC honorable mention pick after hitting .333 in league play for the Lions in 2007. Overall, the Antioch, Calif. native led the team in walks (38) and on-base percentage (.435). He was also among the LMU leaders in hits (63), RBI (30), stolen bases (10), and batting average (.313). The 6-5 Viramontes will join the Lions this fall from Bullard High School in Fresno, Calif., where he earned first-team All-CIF and All-Metro League selections. Vierra, a 6-2 third baseman/outfielder, helped Quartz Hill High School to the 2006 CIF Championship. He will also join the Lions in the fall after putting up big numbers in 2007, hitting .467 with .822 slugging and .550 on-base percentages.
-GO LIONS-
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