Baseball: More local players selected in MLB Draft

Former Orange Coast College first baseman Chris Iriart topped area players selected on the third day of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday.

Iriart, who hit 15 home runs to help the University of Houston host its own regional, was taken in the 12th round (No. 368 overall) by the Oakland A’s.

UC Irvine standouts Matt Esparza, Jerry McClanahan and Evan Manarino were also selected, as was former OCC pitcher Jacob Hill, Newport Harbor High product Jordan Desguin and Newport Harbor senior Jonah Dipoto.

Iriart hit .302 with 40 runs batted in, 46 runs and 31 extra-base hits for the Cougars, who finished 43-20. Iriart earned first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors and was named to the All-South Central Region second team. He was a standout for OCC in 2014, when he helped the Pirates claim state and mythical national championships.

Esparza, a junior right-handed pitcher who transferred from Cypress Community College, was chosen in the 14th round (No. 424) by the Cleveland Indians. He was 8-2 with a 3.38 earned-run average in 16 starts in his first season with the Anteaters.

Esparza allowed 92 hits and struck out 81 in 982/3 innings. His eight wins tied for first among Big West pitchers during the regular season.

McClanahan, a senior catcher, was taken in the 19th round (No. 583) by the Baltimore Orioles. MaClanahan, a member of UCI’s 2014 College World Series team, hit .276 with two home runs and 16 RBIs in 2015. His .434 on-base percentage tied for the team lead and he threw out 25 runners attempting to steal, tied for tops in the conference in the regular season.

Manarino, a senior left-handed pitcher, was chosen in the 25th round (No. 758) by the A’s. He was 7-3 with a 3.80 ERA in 2015, striking out 76 and surrendering 112 hits in 942/3 innings. Manarino, helped UCI reach the 2014 College World Series after two seasons at Saddleback Community College.

Hill, whose twin brother David, another former OCC standout with whom he shard Orange Empire Conference Pitcher of the Year recognition in 2014, was taken in the 32nd round (No. 964) by Cleveland. A junior left-hander at the University of San Diego in 2015, he was 6-2 with a 7.53 ERA in 20 appearances, including four starts. He struck out 30 in 282/3 innings.

David Hill, who was the West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year at USD in 2015, was taken in the fourth round (No. 107) by the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.

Desguin, the son of former Newport Harbor coach Joel Desguin and a junior pitcher at Florida Gulf Coast University, was a 36th-round selection (No.1,081) by the Milwaukee Brewers. The younger Desguin was 6-1 with a 3.63 ERA in 20 appearances in 2015. In 62 innings, he allowed 51 hits, walked 11 and struck out 38. He held opponents to a .216 batting average.

Dipoto, the son of Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim general manager and former major league pitcher Jerry Dipoto, was taken in the 38th round (No. 1,155) by the Angels.

The younger Dipoto was 3-5 with one save and a 4.02 ERA in 2015. In 47 innings, he struck out 32, walked 33 and hit 10 batters.

Other noteworthy picks included University of Hawaii junior pitcher Tyler Brashears a 12th-round pick (No. 368) of the Tampa Bay Rays, and JSerra senior outfielder Jake Pries, taken in the 37th round (No. 1,123) by the Orioles.

Brashears signed with UCI out of El Toro High, but never played for the Anteaters.

Pries is the son of former Corona del Mar High standout Jeff Pries, who was a first-round pick (22nd overall) of the New York Yankees out of UCLA in 1984.

— From staff reports