Three Orange County high school players were selected on Day 2 of the Major League Baseball Draft.
The first local product selected Friday was Orange Lutheran’s Josh Morgan.
Morgan, a shortstop with a slick glove and an improving bat, was taken in the third round with the 95th pick overall by the Texas Rangers.
“Last night was rough,” Morgan said about the first day of the draft going by without his name being called. “I originally thought I was going to be a top 50, 60 pick, but I knew I was going today.
“I am so excited to be a Texas Ranger, and in a way, I get to stay on the West Coast. I’m excited to see what they have in store for me, and to show them what I can do.”
Morgan intends on signing with Texas, according to his father Jeff. Josh was a UCLA commit.
The Sunset League had two players drafted Friday. The first was Edison shortstop Brian Schales, who was selected with the second pick in the fourth round, 107th overall, by the Miami Marlins.
“It feels awesome to have been drafted and I am looking forward to continuing to keep up the hard work,” Schales said via email.
Schales, said he had been in contact with Miami before the draft, but still had no idea where he would land.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Schales was committed to Long Beach State, but the allure of the major leagues will keep him from ever being a Dirtbag.
“I am planning on signing with Miami,” he said.
Los Alamitos pitcher Jacob Nix was drafted with the first pick in the fifth round, 136th overall, by the Houston Astros.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound right-hander, whose fastball has been clocked at 96 mph, signed a letter of intent with UCLA.
