Lehi lefthander Royce Hampton figured, by the way the professional baseball scouts were talking, that he would be selected in the 2001 Major League Baseball First-year Amateur Baseball Draft Tuesday, but as round after round went by without the call he began thinking differently.
"I expected to be drafted, but as it went on I didn't know if it was going to happen," Hampton said.
It finally did happen.
Hampton, a Deseret News first-team all-state selection, was taken in the 16th round (471st overall) by the Texas Rangers and was the only Utah high school senior to be selected on the first day.
"I was walking in the house and my mom told me," said Hampton, who listened to most of the first 20 rounds before tuning out.
Hampton, who signed with Dixie College, said he will sign with the Rangers, if negotiations are favorable.
He was the only Utah high-schooler taken, but 1998 East graduate and current Stanford hard-throwing lefthander Mike Gosling was selected in the 2nd round (66th) overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks and 1998 Alta High graduate and Cal-State Fullerton's Shawn "Murph" Norris (3B) was taken in the 9th round (262 overall) by the Montreal Expos. BYU's Isaac Iorg was selected in the 19th round (571 overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Alta's Jason Snyder, who has signed with the University of Arizona in November, was "a little surprised" he wasn't taken on the first day. But he said he told scouts he wouldn't sign unless he was selected in the first five rounds.
The draft continues Wednesday.
Dixie State lefthander Ben Fox, from Las Vegas, was selected in the 10th round (300th overall) by the San Diego Padres, and BYU's David Jensen was taken in the 17th round (517th overall) by the Cleveland Indians.
BYU righthander Nate Fernley, who led the nation with a 16-2 record, signed a free-agent contract with the Indians last week.
Hampton, who has been clocked between 89 and 91 mph, posted a 5-2 record with a 1.57 ERA and 62 strikeouts for the Region 10 co-Champion Pioneers.
Gosling, a junior starter for Stanford, which is making its third straight appearance into the College World Series this Friday, was 7-2 with a 3.57 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 70 innings for the Cardinals.
Norris is hitting .292 in 58 games (52 starts) with the No. 1 Titans, who open the College World Series Friday. He also had 13 doubles, three triples, five homers and 45 RBIs.
As for the two local teams, the Provo Angels (Anaheim) and the Ogden Raptors (Milwaukee Brewers), they should reap the benefit of the draft.
The Brewers selected RHP Mike Lewis (Thunderbird HS, Phoenix), SS James Hardy (Sabino HS, Tucson), RHP Jonathan Steitz (Yale), 1B Bradley Nelson (Bishop Garrigan HS, Iowa), RHP Judd Richardson (Miami), RHP Calvin Carpenter (Natchitoches Central HS, Louisiana), 3B Taylor McCormack (Dunedin HS, Florida), 1B Brandon Gemoll (Fresno State), RHP Dennis Sarfate (Chandler Gilbert CC, Arizona), RHP Greg Moreira (Lake Brantley HS, Florida), 2B David Slevin (Indian River CC, Florida), LHP Raymond Liotta (Archbishop Rummel HS, Louisiana), 1B Travis Hinton (Chandler Gilbert CC, Arizona), RHP Aaron Sheffield (Young Harris College, Georgia), C Tim Dillard (Saltillo HS, Mississippi), Gene Desalme (Northwestern State), LHP Justin Wilson (Chandler HS, Mesa), C Jeffrey Eure (Old Dominion), C Joel Alvarado (Texas), RHP Joshua Smith (Lake Havasu HS, Nevada).
The Angels selected 1B Casey Kotchman (Seminole HS, Florida), C Jeffrey Mathis (Marianna HS, Florida), 3B Dallas McPherson (The Citadel), RHP Steven Shell (El Reno HS, Oklahoma), LHP Jacob Woods (Bakersfield College), RHP Michael Nickoll (Birmingham Southern College, Alabama), LHP Bradley Pinkerton (Elon College, North Carolina), OF Quantawn Cosby (Mart HS, Texas), LHP Richard Hill (Michigan), 3B Justin Turner (Warner Southern College, Florida), C Devin Ivany (Cardinal Gibbons HS, Florida), 3B Matthew Brown (Coeur d'Alene HS, Idaho), RHP Johnathan Shull (Eastside HS, Indiana), C Ryan Budde (Oklahoma State), LHP Lloyd Arthor (Arkansas State University), LHP Jason Dennis (UC-Berkeley), LHP Micah Posey (North Florida Christian HS), C Alfred Corbell (Florida Southern College), LHP Michael Galloway (Allen HS, Texas), 1B Edward Tolzien (Illinois State), OF Nicholas Gomeault (UMass), OF Justin Nelson (Rancho Buena Vista HS, California).
E-MAIL: jhinton@desnews.com