ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, June 5, 1996 TAG: 9606050033
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
PITCHING-THIN DETROIT selects the Cavaliers right-hander with the sixth pick overall.
Virginia pitcher Seth Greisinger, who entered his junior year with less than a .500 record, experienced the latest thrill in a dream season Tuesday when he was selected in the first round of the major league baseball free-agent draft.
``I wouldn't have believed this a year ago,'' said Greisinger from Millington, Tenn., where he is participating in the Olympic Trials. ``I can't believe it now.''
Greisinger was taken by Detroit with the sixth pick overall - the highest a Virginia player has gone. Brian Buchanan, the Cavaliers' only other first-round pick, was the No.24 pick in 1994.
Not long after Greisinger was selected, fellow right-hander Jason Sekany learned that Boston had drafted him in the second round, with the 61st pick overall. Greisinger and Sekany were the first UVa pitchers ever to be drafted before the fourth round.
``This is not bittersweet,'' said UVa coach Dennis Womack, coming off an ACC championship and three victories in the South 1 Regional. ``This is sweet, with a capital `S.'''
Greisinger, named first-team All-American by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball, was under the impression that he would be one of the first 12 picks.
``It's unbelievable,'' he said. ``The Tigers probably talked to me the least of anybody. Obviously, they were looking for a pitcher, but they were looking at high school kids until the last week.''
The Tigers entered today's action with the worst record (13-44) in the majors and by far the worst earned-run average (6.95 through last Saturday).
``I don't look upon it as a positive or a negative,'' Greisinger said. ``I think they have the ability to be a great organization. I think it will change. I don't think it will be any easier to make it up there. The major leagues, across the board, requires a certain level of ability.''
Greisinger, a McLean High School product, was selected by Cleveland in the seventh round of the 1993 draft. He accepted a scholarship to Virginia, where he was 9-12 after two seasons.
``I'm not sure I was as good a prospect after last season as I was out of high school,'' said Greisinger, who was 6-7 as a sophomore, with a 4.70 ERA.
First-year pitching coach Kevin O'Sullivan made a change in Greisinger's mechanics, however, and the right-hander responded with a 12-2 record and 1.76 ERA. He broke the UVa record for victories in a season and tied the school record for victories in a career (21).
``I'm not as flashy with the radar gun as some pitchers,'' said Greisinger, a 6-foot-4, 195-pounder. ``I think what I've got to offer is that I can throw three pitches - fastball, curveball and change-up - for strikes.''
An agreement between USA Baseball and the major leagues will allow prospective Olympians to sign professional contracts but retain their Olympic eligibility if they do not accept any money. The current roster of 49 will be trimmed to 25 on June 16.
Greisinger, who turns 21 on July 29, had talked earlier this season of possibly returning to UVa for his senior year. He has a 3.2 grade-point average and intends to complete work on his degree in finance, but he expects to sign with Detroit.
``Obviously, I want to go play professional baseball,'' said Greisinger, likely to receive a signing bonus of at least $1 million. ``I don't think, in all honesty, I will be back. I think my coaches understand that.''
Womack said he didn't expect Greisinger, Sekany or shortstop Adam Robinson - all juniors - to play another year at Virginia.
Sekany was pounded in a pair of NCAA Tournament losses, but finished 6-4, with a 3.86 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 77 innings. It was his first season at Virginia after transferring from Modesto (Calif.) Junior College
``I was disappointed not from a professional basis, but from a standpoint that I came up short in helping my team win,'' Sekany said. ``I don't think I ever expected to be a second-round pick, [but] I can't say I knew what to expect, not having been drafted out of high school.''
There was no official word late Tuesday about the draft status of Virginia Tech outfielder Kevin Barker. The power-hitting junior was rated highly by Baseball America and many scouts and was predicted to go somewhere between the second and fifth rounds.
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Greisinger and Sekany represent only the second pair of UVa pitchers to be drafted in the same year, joining Todd Fiegel and Todd Ruyak in 1991. A total of 32 UVa players have been drafted, only one of whom, Oakland pitcher Doug Johns, is currently in the major leagues.
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Greisinger. color.by CNB