Baseball draft stirs Flames

While teammates are squirming away the hours awaiting the major league baseball draft this week, Lee University’s Tanner Moore is on his way to California.

The junior from Chattanooga, who played for East Tennessee State and Tennessee before arriving at Lee, is draft-eligible, but his summer plans focus on a collegiate league in Lodi, Calif., about 30 miles outside of Sacramento.

“I would love to get drafted, but if it doesn’t happen I will go back to school. If it happens, it happens,” the former McCallie standout said.

“A lot of times with juniors, if the scouts don’t think guys are ready to come in and move quickly up the ladder, then they’ll encourage them to come back to school and get that degree and then come back to them as a senior,” said Lee coach Mark Brew, whose Flames finished second and third in the last two NAIA nationals.

“It has changed. The draft used to be unlimited rounds. Now with 50 rounds they’re a little more selective.”

Moore’s draft chances are less than some of Lee’s other players, including outfielder Julian Alvarez, a first-team NAIA All-American, and left-handed pitcher Jeff Ibarra.

Alvarez, a native of the Dominican Republic, hit .406 with 18 home runs and 29 doubles and 78 RBIs with eight stolen bases. Ibarra, who had a 3.44 earned run average and a 4-1 record, is a likely left-handed set-up man.

“Alvarez is a physical, athletic kid. He led the NAIA in home runs last year with 26,” Brew said. “He has good power and a good 60-yard dash time (6.8) for a guy that’s 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds. He probably projects as a right fielder with a plus arm.”

Brew thinks Alvarez and Ibarra, who is from San Marcos, Calif., will be picked in the second or third day of the draft.

“The scouts seem to like (Ibarra) because he’s 6-6, left-handed and has a fastball around 89-90 (mph) with a good slider and changeup,” said Brew, whose three-year record at Lee is 167-39.

The Cleveland school’s other draft possibles are shortstop Brian Bistagne and closer Pablo Lopez. Bistagne hit .364 and stole 30 bases this year. Lopez had 10 saves in 50 innings with 37 strikeouts.

Meigs County graduate Dave Mason went 10-3 for the Flames but may get passed over.

“Normally I’d say he would be drafted because he had a good year,” Brew said, “but a right-handed pitcher has to be throwing 90-plus, and if it’s under that he better have a couple of really good out pitches. Too, I think Dave is pretty career-oriented and looking to get on with his life.”

Getting on with his life for Moore involves a second trip to California to play for Leon Lee — a former New York Mets minor league manager, a Japanese League manager and the father of Chicago Cubs standout Derrek Lee — and former Lookouts player George Cecchetti (1981-82).

“This situation couldn’t be better,” Moore said. “Leon is a great hitting coach, and I want to work some on my power hitting.”

Moore, a gold glove winner as a third baseman, finished the season with a .352 batting average and a .515 slugging percentage. He had 24 doubles, two triples and three homers.