NADOLSKI AMONG LOCAL BALLPLAYERS DRAFTED:ORIOLES PICK CASA PITCHER, WHO MAY OPT FOR COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP; GENTILE, MORANALSO CHOSEN

Casa Grande pitcher Matt Nadolski, former Casa Grande star D.J. Gentile and

Sonoma State pitcher Gary Moran were selected Thursday on the final day of the

three-day, 50-round, 1,521-player Major League Baseball draft.

Nadolski, a hard-throwing left-hander, was taken in the 32nd round by the

Baltimore Orioles. Gentile, a redshirt sophomore designated hitter at Cal Poly

San Luis Obispo, was selected in the 43rd round by the Cleveland Indians and

Moran, a senior right-hander, was taken in the 41st round by the San Francisco

Giants.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Nadolski had a 6-2 record and a 2.38 ERA as a

senior. He has a fastball that hovers in the low 90s and has been offered a

full scholarship by San Diego State. Nadolski said he is leaning toward

attending college, but likely won't make a decision until later this summer.

Casa Grande coach Paul Maytorena said scouts from the Orioles are planning

to meet with Nadolski in four to six weeks to discuss his future.

Nadolski is also an all-Empire football and basketball player.

''He has a high ceiling and he's still pretty much unknown,'' Maytorena

said. ''In high school, he didn't pitch too many innings. I'm excited to see

what happens when he has a couple of years just dedicated to baseball. He

hasn't done that yet because he's such a great athlete.''

Gentile, a designated hitter at Cal Poly, hit .304 with five homers and 41

RBIs for the Mustangs, who went 37-21 and reached the NCAA Tournament. As a

sophomore, Gentile had a 15-game hitting streak and earned Big West Conference

Player of the Week honors, but he ended the season in a 2-for-34 slump that

caused his average to plummet from .361.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Gentile, who led the nation with 11 sacrifice

flies, will leave Sunday for the Alaskan Baseball League, where he will play

with the Mat-Su Miners until early August. Gentile said scouts from the

Indians are planning to watch him play in Alaska this summer and make a

decision on whether to offer him a contract. Gentile, who will play right

field this summer, said the Indians wanted to see his defensive skills since

he has been a designated hitter in college.

Gentile said he wants to sign with the Indians, but is content to return to

Cal Poly if he isn't offered a contract.

''I feel like I'm in a unique situation not very many people are presented

with. It's a win-win situation,'' Gentile said. ''I can't control whether the

Indians like me or not. I can only control what I do the field.''

Moran, a Madera native who sat out two years after suffering a torn labrum

at Fresno City College, was named the West Region Pitcher of the Year after

sporting a 7-2 record and 1.37 ERA for the Seawolves.

He will report to the Giants' rookie league team in Scottsdale, Ariz.,

within a week.

The 6-8, 265-pound Moran ranked fourth in the nation in ERA and 10th in

walks per nine innings, with 10 in 78 2/3 innings. Moran had been drafted

twice before by the San Padres -- in the 34th round in 2004 and the 36th round

in 2005.

But SSU assistant coach Walter White said scouts were scared off in recent

years by Moran's shoulder injury.

''I think the scouts had written me off,'' Moran said. ''I had to show them

I could do it ... I don't really keep track of my stats, but in the middle of

the season I looked and thought 'Oh, my gosh.' I knew if I kept it up there

was no way he they could deny me.''

Said White, ''The Giants got a steal in the 41st round.''

You can reach Staff Writer Eric Branch at 521-5268 or

eric.branch@pressdemocrat.com.