June 8, 2011

BERKELEY -

Preparing to play in its first-ever NCAA Super Regional this weekend against Dallas Baptist at Santa Clara's Stephen Schott Stadium, the 2011 California baseball program had seven players - juniors Erik Johnson, Marcus Semien, Dixon Anderson, Chadd Krist and Matt Flemer, and seniors Kevin Miller and Austin Booker - drafted in the June 6-7 Major League Amateur Draft.

Junior right-hander Erik Johnson (Los Altos) was selected in the second round and was the 80th pick overall by the Chicago White Sox. Johnson was recently selected first-team All-Pac-10, as well as Pac-10 All-Academic, and is sporting a 6-4 record with a 2.91 ERA. He is currently sixth in the conference with 96 strikeouts in 96.0 innings, and is fourth in the league with a .194 opponent batting average.

Marcus Semien (El Cerrito), Cal's starting shortstop the past two seasons, was drafted in the sixth round by the Chicago White Sox. Semien, whose father, Damien, was a wide receiver for the Bears in the early 90s, was a member of the NCAA Houston Regional All-Tournament team and is currently batting .272 with 10 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 32 RBI.

Junior Dixon Anderson (Piedmont), a 6-6 right-hander, was a ninth round pick of the Washington Nationals. Anderson is 4-3 on the year with a 3.90 ERA and has 41 strikeouts in 67.0 innings. He is also outstanding academically, earning CoSIDA District 8 All-Academic honors, as well as Pac-10 All-Academic honors, for the second year in a row.

Next on the Bears' draft list was junior catcher Chadd Krist (Petaluma), who was selected in the 13th round by the Chicago White Sox. Krist is batting .306 on the year with a Pac-10 leading 25 doubles and 40 RBI. He was a member of the Houston Regional All-Tournament team - where he had three doubles, a triple and five RBI - as well as a first-team All-Pac-10 selection.

Senior right-hander Kevin Miller (San Jose) was an 18th round pick of the Houston Astros. Miller is 6-4 with a 2.62 ERA and a save, and is second in the Pac-10 with 42 batters struck out looking. He has picked up 17 wins and four saves in his Cal career, and his 230 career strikeouts ranks sixth on the school's all-time career strikeout list.

Junior right-hander Matt Flemer (El Cerrito), the Bears' closer, was selected in the 19th round by the Kansas City Royals. Flemer, a 2011 Pac-10 honorable mention selection, is 4-2 with a 2.14 ERA and is eighth in the Pac-10 with five saves. He has recorded 36 strikeouts with only eight walks in 33.2 innings this year, and won two games in relief last weekend at the Houston Regional.

Outfielder Austin Booker (Fairfax, Va.) was the 33 rd pick of the Oakland A's after a fine senior season in which he is batting .313 with eight doubles, two triples, a home run and 24 RBI. Booker, the son of former Cal All-American and Philadelphia Phillies Rod Booker, was 6-for-22 with a double and two RBI at the Houston Regional.

The Bears are 35-21 overall after winning four-straight games at the Houston Regional, including come back from a 7-1 deficit and scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 9-8 victory over Baylor to clinch a berth into a Super Regional. Sophomore first baseman Devon Rodriguez was named the Houston Regional MVP after knocking in the game-winning two-run single with two outs in the ninth.