THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 5, 1996 TAG: 9606050544
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 65 lines
For Old Dominion catcher Matt Quatraro, the waiting game was short-lived.
Quatraro, not projected as a first-day pick, was selected in the eighth round by the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the major league baseball draft on Tuesday.
``I'm just really excited,'' said Quatraro, who helped guide the Monarchs to the NCAA Tournament last month. ``It's just hard to sum up.''
Offensively, Quatraro did just about everything in his career for ODU. He led the Colonial Athletic Association in batting average (.416) this season and was ranked 20th nationally.
A career .400 hitter, Quatraro also shares the Monarchs' single season (13) and career (35) home run records.
Named to the GTE Academic All-America Team earlier in the day, Quatraro also earned Mizuno third-team All-American and first-team All-East Region honors this year.
The big question concerning Quatraro, however, was positioning. Where will he play?
``He could end up becoming a great utility player at a higher level because he can do so many things,'' ODU coach Tony Guzzo said during the season.
For the last two seasons, Quatraro has earned first-team all-CAA honors as a catcher. Following his sophomore year, he was named second-team all-conference as a first baseman. Throughout his career, he has also played third base and all the outfield positions. Some scouts, though, wondered if his arm was strong enough for everyday action as a catcher. Apparently, the Devil Rays were not too concerned.
``That's what they watched me as (a catcher) all season long and they liked me there,'' Quatraro said from his parents' house in Selkirk, N.Y. ``This is the best opportunity because no one is in front of you. You have as good of a chance as anyone.''
The first step for the former Monarch is getting together with Raleigh-based scout Paul Faulk, who is expected to meet with Quatraro this week. Next, off to the minor leagues, possibly the Penn League in New York or the Pioneer League in Montana.
Tampa Bay, which begins play in 1998, used its first ever pick on a high school athlete. Paul Wilder, an outfielder from Carey (N.C.) High School, was taken with the 29th overall pick.
In the major league draft, a team has the same draft position through each round.
Clemson righthander Kris Benson was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates as the top pick.
Benson, 21, is 14-1 this season for the Tigers with a 1.57 ERA, 193 strikeouts and just 26 walks in 149 innings.
Minnesota, picking second, chose San Diego State first baseman Travis Lee, and St. Louis followed by taking Wichita State righthander Braden Looper. Toronto used the fourth pick on Clemson righthander Billy Koch and Montreal went for the first high school player, John Patterson, a righthander at West Orange-Stark High in West Orange, Texas.
Seventeen pitchers were taken on the first round but just three lefthanders. Just 11 of the 30 picks were from colleges.
Seth Greisinger, Virginia's top pitcher, was drafted sixth overall in the first round by Detroit, a team in serious need of pitching.
The junior righthander was 12-2 this season with an ERA of 1.76. He struck out 141 and walked 36 in 123 innings. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Not projected as a first-day pick, ODU catcher Matt Quatraro was
taken in the eighth round by the Devil Rays. by CNB