Prep baseball: Catching up with the area's draft picks

photo by Grant Jefferies

Here is a look how some of the area's baseball draft picks are doing with their selective clubs, including Lakewood Ranch alum Zack Larson, who signed with the Minnesota Twins on July 13

GRANDEN GOETZMAN (Tampa Bay Rays, 2011) - The Palmetto grad was off to a solid start with the Rays' Appalachian League team in Princeton, W. Va., batting .298 with eight RBIs and seven steals in 12 games. But Goetzman hasn't played since July 12 because of a back ailment, according to Matthew Tracy, who covers the Princeton Rays for Rays Digest, and the team isn't sure when he'll return.
CORRELLE PRIME (Colorado Rockies, 2012) - The recent Manatee grad was taken by the Rockies in the 12th round of this year's draft and has appeared in 13 games with the franchise's Pioneer League team in Grand Junction, Colo. He is hitting .205 and has played nine games at first base, where he has made two errors in 84 chances, and four as a designated hitter.
J. R. MURPHY (New York Yankees, 2009) - The Bradenton native and IMG product was promoted to the Yankees' Double-A team in Trenton, N.J. earlier this season and is hitting .233 with two home runs and seven RBIs with the Thunder. A catcher, Murphy has thrown out six of nine runners trying to steal (69 percent) and was picked for the Florida State League All-Star game before the promotion.
MICHAEL OHLMAN (Baltimore Orioles, 2009) - After serving a 50-game suspension for violating minor league baseball's drug policy, the Lakewood Ranch alum hit .276 in eight games with the Gulf Coast League Orioles and is now with the team's low Single-A squad in Delmarva, Md, where he is batting .245 with eight RBIs in 16 games.
ZACK LARSON (Minnesota Twins, 2012) - The area's newest pro ballplayer, Larson reported to the Twins' GCL team in Fort Myers and is 3 for 6 (.500) in three games with an RBI, a triple, a stolen base and a run scored.