June 7, 2006
SAN DIEGO - Six San Diego State players were chosen by Major League clubs on day two of the 2006 draft, bringing to nine the total number of Aztecs chosen during the annual selection process. Included in that total are six starting position players and the team's top two starting pitchers plus its closer. The nine draftees are the most ever for SDSU, which had eight players taken in both 1992 and 2003.
It is also the third-most athletes to be selected from any school this year, with only UCLA (11) and Clemson (10) having more. The nine draftees represent almost half of the players taken from the Mountain West Conference, which had a total of 20.
The six Aztecs chosen on Wednesday include outfielder Paul Smyth (Boston-23rd rd.), pitcher Adam Simon (Pittsburgh-25th rd.), catcher Jordan Swaydan (Milwaukee-30th rd.), first baseman Brock Ungricht (NY Yankees-30th rd.), pitcher Bruce Billings (Philadelphia-31st rd.) and third baseman Tim O'Brien (NY Yankees-37th rd.).
That group joins three teammates who were tabbed in the opening day of the draft on Tuesday: pitcher Justin Masterson (Boston-2nd rd.), outfielder Quintin Berry (Philadelphia-5th rd.) and infielder Lance Zawadzki (St. Louis-15th rd.).
Smyth, a second-team all-Mountain West Conference selection, led San Diego State in most offensive categories including batting average, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI and sacrifice flies. He hit .370 with 19 doubles, 11 homers and 63 runs batted in over 59 games.
Simon, the team's closer in 2006, finished the season with seven saves, striking out 59 batters over 50.1 innings and holding opponents to a .268 batting average.
Swaydan, a four-year letterwinner at SDSU, was a two-time all-MWC catcher during his Aztec career. This past season he hit .263 with 21 RBI while starting 51 games behind the plate.
Ungricht made the transition to first base this season having also played third and catcher during his three seasons as an Aztec. In 2006, he batted .314 with 13 doubles and 37 RBI.
Billings was a first-team all-conference selection this season after being named the MWC Pitcher of the Year in 2005. He finished this season with a 6-3 mark and a team-leading 3.43 earned run average. He struck out 85 over 81.1 innings and his career total of 245 ranks second on the Aztec career strikeout list.
O'Brien made the move from first to third base for his senior season and had a solid 2006 campaign. He batted .288 (.300 in league play), leading the squad in walks and tying Smyth for the team home run lead with 11.
Of the nine Aztecs selected during this year's draft four were seniors (O'Brien, Simon, Smyth, Swaydan) this past season while five were juniors (Berry, Billings, Masterson, Ungricht, Zawadzki) with a year of eligibility remaining.
2006 SDSU Drafted PlayersRd. Player Selected By 2...Justin Masterson, RHP...Boston 5...Quintin Berry, OF.......Philadelphia15...Lance Zawadzki, INF.....St. Louis23...Paul Smyth, OF..........Boston25...Adam Simon, RHP.........Pittsburgh30...Jordan Swaydan, C.......Milwaukee30...Brock Ungricht, 1B......NY Yankees31...Bruce Billings, RHP.....Philadelphia37...Tim O'Brien, 3B NY.....Yankees