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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 11:15 a.m., Wednesday, June 5, 2002

Baseball draft pulls six more Isle names

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Wai'anae High all-star pitcher Dane Awana woke up to good news this morning.

The O'ahu Interscholastic Association Western Division Player of the Year was the selected by Seattle in the 32nd round of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft. But he had slept through the selection and wasn't aware he had been picked until a reporter called him.

"It feels good to get drafted," a somewhat groggy Awana said.

The 6-foot, 170-pound left-hander was 5-0 with a 0.90 earned run average. He had 50 strikeouts in 39 innings pitched for the Seariders, who qualified for the state tournament.

Awana said he had plans to attend Santa Barbara City junior college.

Meanwhile, University of Hawai'i recruit Keahi Rawlins, a 6-4, 230-pound right-handed pitcher/first baseman, was selected in the 36th round by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Also, Mark Rodrigues was a 37th-round pick of the Oakland Athletics out of Los Medanos junior college. The left-handed pitcher also was drafted in the 29th round by Montreal out of Kaua'i High last year.

"I will go back to school for another year," Rodrigues said. "That's always been my plan."

As a JC player, Rodrigues will be treated as a "draft and follow." That means the A's can still sign him until a week before next year's draft. That will give him an extra season to increase his stock.

Another UH recruit, right-handed pitcher Nick Ponomarenko of Cuesta JC, was picked in the 38th round by Montreal. He was 5-3 with a 6.49 ERA.

The first Rainbow taken was junior catcher Grady Symonds, who was taken in the 39th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is not returning to UH next season.

Symonds rarely played this past season, batting .179, appearing in 19 games. He did hit a grand slam to tie a game against UC Irvine in the bottom of the ninth that the Rainbows eventually won in the 12th inning.

Future UH catcher Matthew Inouye, of Mid-Pacific Institute, was taken in the 41st round by the Boston Red Sox.

Inouye, an Interscholastic League of Honolulu first-team all-star selection, batted .438 with three home runs and 26 RBI in helping lead the Owls to the state baseball title.

Notes: Santa Cruz (Calif.) High shortstop/right-handed pitcher Neil Walton was selected in the 23rd round by San Francisco. He made a recruiting trip to UH during the Louisiana Tech series. He is 6 feet 5 and 180 pounds.