University Southern California Trojans
Munson, Zito Taken in Top 9 of MLB Draft
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
June 2, 1999
LOS ANGELES - Junior catcher Eric Munson was taken third overall (by the Detroit Tigers) and junior lefthander Barry Zito was taken ninth overall (by the Oakland A's) in today's Major League Baseball first-year player draft, highlighting the USC baseball team's eight draft choices.
It's the first time USC has had two first-round picks since 1979 (during the January secondary phase) and it's the first time ever USC has had two first-round picks in the regular June draft. The Trojans have now had four first-round picks in the last six years.
Munson was the first college player selected and Zito was the third.
Other USC picks: sophomore LHP Steve Smyth (fourth round by the Chicago Cubs), senior OF Jason Lane (sixth round by the Houston Astros), senior RHP Justin Lehr (eighth round by the Oakland A's), senior OF Brad Ticehurst (10th round by the New York Yankees), senior 2B/RHP Dominic Correa (18th round by the New York Yankees) and senior OF Greg Hanoian (33rd round by the Chicago Cubs).
Munson is batting .338 with 14 home runs and 40 RBI despite missing 21 games due to injury. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Los Angeles Regional last weekend. He was previously a second-round pick in 1996 as a high school player.
"I'm really looking forward to playing with the Tigers and being in the American League," Munson said. "This is a great situation. I'd like to finish up playing college ball in a big way, and then I'll be excited to move on to the pros."
Zito, an All-American first teamer and the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year, is 12-2 with a 3.44 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 104 2/3 innings. He was a third-round pick by the Texas Rangers last summer, but elected to transfer to USC.
"It was amazing when we found out I was picked ninth," Zito said. "I couldn't ask for anything better than this. I'm looking forward to playing in the A's organization."
Before any of these players move on, however, there's still the matter of the NCAA postseason. USC (36-24) plays at Stanford (46-13) this weekend (June 4-6) in an NCAA Super Regional to decide who will go on to the College World Series.
