Marietta junior Mike Eisenberg nervously awaited the June 2006 major league draft. The NCAA Division III Pitcher of the Year did not have to wait long, as he was selected in the eighth round by the Cleveland Indians. Eisenberg, selected 251st overall, becomes the first Pioneer drafted since Dave Bradley was a 14th round pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 1999.

Following the Championship co-MVP was two more pitching prospects, Thomas Vessella of Whittier and Cole Kimball of Centenary. Vessella was chosen in the 11th round by Houston and Kimball went in the 12th round to the Washington Nationals.

Chris Salamida was forced to quit his summer baseball team when the Houston Astros selected Oneonta State junior pitcher Chris Salamida in the 13th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft. Salamida said he plans to sign a professional contract and skip his senior season. league team Tuesday. He didn't seem too upset about it, though. "When I found out, I was psyched," said Salamida, the 399th overall pick."It hasn't really hit me yet," said Salamida. "I wanted to yell."

Ray Stokes, the Cal State East Bay Pioneers top hitter with a .400 batting average, was drafted in the 16th round by the San Diego Padres in the Major League Baseball first-year player draft on June 6. Stokes becomes the first CSUEB baseball player since Caleb Cooper in 2004 to be drafted. The San Diego Padres made him the 483rd overall pick in the 16th round. Joining Stokes was Chris Heisey, CF for Messiah who was drafted by Cincinnati in the 17th round.

The Washington Nationals organization selected Grove City College senior right-handed pitcher Erik Arnesen in the 17th round. A 6-foot-4, 260-pounder, Arnesen went 9-0 for Grove City this year, posting a 2.92 ERA. He struck out 84 batters in 71 innings this year and allowed just 61 hits. Arnesen also limited opponents to a .234 batting average against this year. He also set new Grove City single-season records for wins, innings pitched and strikeouts this season. Following the season, he earned First Team All-Presidents' Athletic Conference honors and was unofficially recognized by the league coaches as PAC Pitcher of the Year. Arnesen also earned Second Team All-Mideast Region recognition from the America Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings.

Millsaps College outfielder Garner Wetzel was chosen in the 18th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the San Diego Padres. Wetzel, a native of Gulfport, Miss., was the 543rd overall pick in the 2006 Draft. In the 2005 MLB Draft Wetzel was selected in the 10th round by the Colorado Rockies. Wetzel's pro career was put on hiatus after discovering a torn ligament in his throwing elbow. Wetzel opted for corrective surgery and to play out his senior season for the Majors.

Worcester State College junior pitcher Tim Stronach was selected in the 22nd round, 664th overall by the New York Mets on the second day of thenMLB Amateur Draft. Stronach, a right-hander, just completed his junior season for the Lancers finished this season with just a 3-7 record but posted an impressive 3.72 ERA and struck out 71 batters in 65.1 innings of work. Stronach had his finest season with the Lancers as a sophomore when he finished the year 6-0 with a 2.45 ERA and held the opposition to a paltry .209 batting average as he helped the Lancers to their best finish ever winning a NCAA Regional Tournament game for the first time in program history. Stronach is the first Lancer to be drafted since the 1960's when Worcester State had three players selected.

Will Groff and Andrew Mead, both from Cortland State were the only NCAA Division III teammates chosen in the 2006 professional baseball draft. Groff, a junior second baseman, was chosen in the 29th round by the St. Louis Cardinals. Mead, a senior outfielder, was selected in the 40th round by the World Series champion Chicago White Sox. The players are the seventh and eighth Red Dragons to be drafted overall.

Senior tri-captain Teddy Dziuba became the first position player in Babson College history to be drafted by a Major League Baseball team, as he was selected by the New York Mets in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft. A lefthanded-hitting catcher, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Dziuba was taken by the Mets in the 33rd round with the 994th overall pick. He joins former pitchers Rick Renwick '79 and Jason Kosow '04 as the only Babson players to be drafted by a professional team.

Rowan University shortstop Matt Enuco was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. Matt Enuco Enuco was taken in the 36th round of the draft with the 1095th overall pick. During his four years, he compiled a .322 batting average with 209 hits in 649 at bats. This season, Enuco led the Profs with a .363 batting average, 16 doubles and a .447 slugging percentage. He also contributed two triples, three home runs, 21 stolen bases (30 attempts), 48 runs scored and 39 RBIs. Enuco received New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) All-Conference honorable mention.

Two pitchers from southern colleges were selected next in the 2006 draft. Logan Collier, Guilford was selecetd in the 37th round by the rhp, St Louis Cardnals. The Boston Red Sox used their 38th pick to select Randolph Macon's Travis Beazley.

Franklin & Marshall College right-hander Ted Serro was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 40th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. He will report to the Blue Jays spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida and will be assigned to either the Class A Auburn (NY) Doubledays of the New York-Penn League in Auburn, New York or the Rookie League Pulaski (VA) Blue Jays of the Appalachian League. The #1,200 selection, Serro becomes only the second F&M player in the recorded history of the College to be drafted by a Major League club as Lancaster native and left-hander Jeff Rineer was selected 43rd in the third round by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1975 amateur draft.

Chapman University right-hander Kyle Johnson was selected by the New York Mets in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft, the 18th and final NCAA Division II player selected. Johnson was taken in the 46th round and 1,379th pick overall. He becomes the sixth Panther taken in the MLB Draft since 1999 and the fifth pitcher from Chapman. Johnson, a junior, put up impressive numbers in three years at Chapman, primarily as a reliever. In 22 career appearances, he posted a 2-2 record and 3.80 ERA. Most impressive has been his velocity, which scouts have clocked in the low to mid-90's. The 6-3, 225-pound righty struck out 54 batters in 47.1 innings in his career and held opponents to just a .205 batting average.

A complete list of Division III baseball players drafted follows

Draft number. Name, School, position, Team (round drafted)
251. Mike Eisenberg, Marietta, rhp, Cleveland (
339. Thomas Vessella, Whittier, lhp, Houston (11)
361. Cole Kimball, Centenary, rhp, Washington (12)
399. Chris Salamida, Oneonta State, lhp, Houston Astros (13)
483. Raymond Stokes, Cal State East Bay, 2b, San Diego (16)
504. Chris Heisey, Messiah, cf, Cincinnati (17)
511. Erik Arnesen, Grove City, rhp, Washington (17)
543. Garner Wetzel, RF, Millsaps, rf, San Diego (18)
664. Timothy Stronach, Worcester State, rhp, New York NL (22)
886. Will Groff, Cortland State, 2b, St Louis (29)
994. Teddy Dziuba, Babson, c, New York NL (33)
1095. Matt Enuco, Rowan, 2b, Chicago AL (36)
1126. Logan Collier, Guilford, rhp, St Louis (37)
1153. Travis Beazley, Randolph Macon, rhp, Boston (38)
1200. Ted Serro, Franklin and Marshall, rhp, Toronto (40)
1215. Andy Mead, Cortland State, of, Chicago AL (40)
1290. Cory Anderson, Coast Guard, rhp, Washington (43)
1379. Kyle Johnson, Chapman, rhp, New York NL (46)