Yamamoto, Squier, Cooper all drafted on Day 3
Saint Louis' Jordan Yamamoto hits a ball to the outfield to score two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning for the win in the Mililani vs Saint Louis baseball game for the HHSAA baseball Division1 title at Les Murakami Stadium.
Hawaii's Scott Squier delivers a pitch in the first inning of the UC Riverside vs. UH baseball game at Les Murakami stadium.
Recent Saint Louis graduate Jordan Yamamoto, the 2014 ILH player of the year, was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 12th round (No. 356 overall) of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Saturday.
Yamamoto, who committed to Arizona last summer, is the first player with local ties chosen since the Brewers took Hilo’s Kodi Medeiros with the 12th overall pick on Thursday.
His draft stock increased in the state tournament when he threw a two-hit shutout against Medeiros’ Waiakea team, striking out nine in a 2-0 win with more than 20 professional scouts in attendance.
The first two University of Hawaii players chosen came in back-to-back picks in the 16th round when the Miami Marlins took left-hander Scott Squier No. 467 overall and the Chicago White Sox took right-hander Matt Cooper at No. 468.
Squier, who has a year of eligibility remaining, went 5-5 with a 3.48 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 88 innings with three complete games.
Cooper, who was named second team All-Big West, finished the year 6-5 with a 1.60 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 106 2/3 innings.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Hawaii also had its first pitching commitment chosen when Oxnard (Calif.) right-hander Luke Eubank was chosen by the Cleveland Indians in the 15th round (No. 458 overall).
Eubank went 12-1 with a 0.94 ERA and struck out 131 in 124 1/3 innings last season.
Kansas outfielder Michael Suiter, a 2011 Punahou alumnus, was selected in the 24th round (No. 708 overall) by the White Sox.
In his junior season with the Jayhawks, Suiter hit .322 with 11 doubles, three homers and 42 RBIs as Kansas made a regional for the first time since 2009.
Hilo’s Jodd Carter became the third player selected straight out of a local high school when the Indians took him No. 728 overall in the 24th round.
Carter committed to UH last summer but will likely turn pro and sign.
Punahou’s K.J. Harrison, the No. 2 high school prospect from Hawaii entering the draft, was selected by the Indians in the 25th round (No. 758 overall).
Harrison committed to Oregon State as a sophomore and was rated in Baseball America’s top 200 draft prospects at No. 149.
The third UH player came off the board in the 30th round when the White Sox selected first baseman Marc Flores with the 888th overall pick.
Flores hit .305 with 12 doubles, five homers and 44 RBIs for the Rainbow Warriors this season.
It’s the most UH draft picks in a single year since a record seven in 2011.
Suiter’s Kansas teammate, right-hander Robert Kahana, was taken by the Houston Astros with the first pick of the 32nd round (No. 946 overall).
Kahana, a Campbell alumnus, went 4-6 with a 3.36 ERA as a junior with two complete games.
Joey Aquino, a 2009 Mililani graduate who played at San Diego Christian College this past season, was taken in the 35th round (No. 1,044 overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Aquino went 6-3 with a 2.45 ERA and four saves with the Hawks last season.
UH had another commit drafted when Rio Mesa (Calif.) High first baseman Eric Ramirez was selected in the 37th round (No. 1,106 overall) by the Brewers.
Hawaii had recently secured a commitment from David Noworyta, a catcher from Holy Cross (N.J.) High, who was taken in the 37th round (No. 1,113 overall) by the Kansas City Royals.
