June 6, 2008

SAN DIEGO - After San Diego State Aztec third baseman Nick Romero was the lone Aztec taken on day one of the annual Major League Draft, four seniors heard their names called on Friday during final day the pro selection process. That foursome included shortstop Troy Hanzawa, second baseman Garett Green and pitchers Shane Kaufman and Brandon Pullen.

After a two-year SDSU career during which he established himself as one of the finest defensive shortstops to ever done an Aztec uniform, Hanzawa was chosen in the 16th round by the Philadelphia Phillies. A first-team all-Mountain West Conference selection this past season, he compiled an overall average of .370 and led the squad in runs (53), hits (95) , doubles (15), triples (7) and stolen bases (11) while finishing second in runs batted in (50). Hanzawa's 95 hits in 2008 are the 13th-most in a season for an Aztec while his seven triples tied for the ninth-most in a single campaign.

Kaufman earned second-team all-MWC honors after going 1-1 with a 5.77 earned run average in league play. He was selected in the 28th round by the San Francisco Giants.

Green, a 30th-round choice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was a two-time conference player of the week during his senior season and began the year on the watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award, presented to the top collegiate player in the nation. He finished with a .290 overall batting average with 38 runs, 13 doubles four triples, five home runs and 42 runs batted in.

Pullen, a situation middle reliever the past two seasons, was picked by the Seattle Mariners in the 37th round. As a senior, he went 1-0 with a 5.27 earned run average in 20 appearances out of the bullpen in 2008. He made eight relief appearances in conference play and compiled a 3.38 ERA.

The complete list of Aztecs selected in this year's pro draft is as follows:
Player           Pos.  Team          Round
Nick Romero.......3B...Minnesota.......5th
Troy Hanzawa......SS...Philadelphia...16th
Shane Kaufman....RHP...San Francisco..28th
Garett Green......2B...Los Angeles....30th
Brandon Pullen...LHP...Seattle........37th