Waiting to hear their names called on draft day

There are 30 teams in Major League Baseball and up to 50 rounds in its draft, which means there could be 1,500 young players who will be taken in next week's draft. But unlike the last several years, this draft may not have any Penn players taken. According to retiring Quakers coach Bob Seddon, the class of 2005's 60-92 record may play a significant role in limiting his players' opportunities. "They underachieved for three years in a row," he said. "You're not going to draft a guy who hits .270 with a metal bat." The only player with a legitimate chance to get drafted, Seddon said, is outfielder Nate Moffie. The Wallingford, Conn., native led Penn this season with a .340 batting average. He was second on the team with four homeruns and 25 RBIs. He also gained second-team All-Ivy honors, the third straight year that he earned postseason conference awards. The Washington Nationals are the team that has expressed the most interest in Moffie. He participated this week in a workout in front of their director of scouting along with other potential draftees. Moffie has also drawn looks from Milwaukee and Tampa Bay. As for his chances, Moffie was optimistic. "I would say based on people that I played with who have gotten drafted I expect to [get drafted] but they don't tell you much until draft day," he said. He added that he hopes to get drafted sometime between the 15th and 30th rounds. Seddon was skeptical, saying that he may go between the 30th and 40th rounds. The only other Quaker who has any shot to get drafted, according to Seddon, is pitcher Josh Appell. The two-sport athlete (he also punted for the football team) was 2-5 with a 5.30 earned run average, but his two wins were phenomenal, a four-hitter against Princeton with nine strikeouts and a 13-strikeout complete-game against Columbia. But, Appell was very inconsistent, struggled with his control, and may be leaning towards trying a career in the NFL. While he could not be reached for comment, he told The Daily Pennsylvanian in April that he was trying to get on an NFL team this summer, something he has yet to accomplish. As for the rest of the Ivy League, Seddon thinks Princeton senior outfielder Will Venable -- whose father Max was a Major Leaguer -- and junior outfielder Andrew Salini may go in the first 15 rounds. Harvard junior second baseman Zak Farkes -- whose Crimson will face Cal State Fullerton in the NCAA Tournament -- also has a good chance to be picked. Both Venable and Farkes were first-team All-Ivy selections, while Salini was an honorable mention. If any players are picked, they will have a long road before getting a shot to play at the big-league level. Every Major League team has several minor league rosters to fill, and an overwhelming majority of the draft picks are used for this purpose. Most late-round draftees suffer the same fate as former Penn infielder Nick Italiano, who has been toiling in the low levels of the Phillies system despite some success -- a .279 average with a homer and 39 RBIs in 101 games in the minors. But the player who has been arguably Penn's best hitter the last several seasons thinks he has what it takes. "I think that guys that are able to go up through the system are guys that are able to adjust," he said. "I think I've always been able to do that." Moffie knows he has a long road in front of him to achieve his dream. "I think I can make it but it's going to take an extreme amount of hard work," he said. "Maybe six or seven years from now I'll be playing at a major league level."