Pressley's possibilities on display with draft

Evans product Ryan Pressley was selected in the 17th round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Baseball Draft on Tuesday. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim drafted the 6-foot-6, 235-pound first baseman.

The key word on Pressley is P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L.

With his size and raw power, the Angels felt he was worth the gamble. It also helped his cause that Pressley has a earned quite a reputation for his hard work and dedication.

Knowing he needed to get in better shape, Pressley dropped 35 pounds off his frame before his senior season.

Plus, it's not every day you run into a 6-foot-6, switch-hitting 18-year-old.

Pressley will likely sign with the Angels in the next few days and report to Mesa, Ariz., for rookie ball with the Mesa Angels.

He is the second Evans graduate to be chosen by the Angels. In 1993, the Angels took Todd Greene in the 12th round, after his stellar career at Georgia Southern.

Lakeside duo impressive at Auburn combine

Lakeside rising seniors Chris Drayton and Paul Miller attended the prospect combines at Auburn University recently.

The two were competing against some of the top football prospects in the South, attempting to impress coaches, and maybe more importantly, the scouts who were on hand.

Neither player disappointed.

Drayton, who already has a couple of Division I-A offers, measured in at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, while Miller was 6-foot-1 and tipped the scales at 200 pounds.

Players are tested on a variety of speed, strength and agility drills.

They were tested at the Auburn indoor practice facility, which has an artificial surface that is slower than grass or turf, but Drayton and Miller did just fine.

Drayton ran a 4.65-second 40-yard dash, the third-best time of the 13 defensive backs who attended. He also posted the best vertical jump of the group at 34 inches. Miller also had the third-best 40 time at his position, with a 4.79. His shuttle time of 4.66 was solid, and he had a vertical jump of 27.5 inches.

Their performances will certainly garner the duo some attention from recruiting services and scouts alike.

Evans and Greenbrier stars chosen for Team Georgia

Evans center fielder Shawn Ward had a monster junior season for the Knights.

He helped guide the team into the Class-AAAA Final Four while piling up 55 RBI in the process. That number led the entire CSRA this spring.

He also hit better than .400 and had nine homers. He went from being barely on the radar of big-league scouts to being someone who will be watched closely over the next 12 months.

Scouts will get some extra opportunities to see Ward this summer, as he was chosen to play for the prestigious Team Georgia, a squad that is a who's who of recent baseball draftees from the Peach State.

Ward will see a familiar face on the squad, as Greenbrier slugger Rich Poythress was also selected.

Congratulations to Shawn and Rich. This is a great honor and says a lot about what the rest of the state thinks about Columbia County baseball. We will keep you updated on their performance this summer.