Wednesday, June 5, 2002

Four Golden Panthers are selected during the first day of MLB's Player Draft

our players from the FIU baseball program were selected during the first 20 rounds of Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft that was conducted Tuesday in New York.

Senior first baseman/outfield Brad Eldred (Coconut Creek) led the way, taken with the first pick of the sixth round and 163 overall, by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Junior relief pitcher Ozzie Lugo (Coral Gables) was then selected in the 13th round by the Anaheim Angels.

Senior outfielder Bernard Gonzalez (Miami Brito) was a 14th round pick of the Colorado Rockies, and then senior catcher Tommy Dueñas (Coral Gables) went in the 16th round to the Angels.

Eldred had a breakout year in 2002. He was named as a second-team All-American and Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. Eldred ranks second in the nation with an SBC and school record total 29 home runs and has been invited to represent the university at the 2002 Rawlings Home Run Challenge on Thursday, June 13 at the College World Series in Omaha.

"I had hoped to be picked in the top five rounds, so being the first pick in the sixth round isn't so bad," Eldred told The Sun-Sentinel after being selected.

Lugo came on to become the bullpen closer as a first-year player in 2000 when he was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Following that season, he was one of 35 players invited to the USA Baseball National Team Trials. As a sophomore, Lugo led the Golden Panthers with six saves despite having his season cut short by injury.

Gonzalez was a two-year starter for the Golden Panthers after transferring in from Palm Beach C.C. He hit .323 in 56 games this past season with 10 home runs and 62 RBI to go along with 12 stolen bases.

Like Eldred, it was a banner offensive year for Dueñas who hit near .400 all season, and ended the year with a .387 batting average, best among all FIU regulars. Despite injuries that forced him behind the plate almost every game, Dueñas hit 12 home runs with 57 RBI in 58 games.

The draft continues Wednesday with FIU players like outfielder Hector Nunez and pitcher Andrew Edwards still on the board.

But it wasn't all good news for the Golden Panthers program that saw one of its more promising recruits, Miami Southridge High School shortstop Robert Andino selected early on as the No. 52 pick overall by the Florida Marlins.