Duke Hashimoto was at the Dallas airport when his cellular phone rang, and he instantly knew what the news would be.

It was exactly what he wanted to hear: that he had become the second player from Hawai'i ever drafted by Major League Soccer.

"It's pretty big, this is something I've always wanted to do. I've always wanted to play pro soccer growing up," he said.

Hashimoto, a 5-foot-7, 150-pound forward/midfielder who played four years at Southern Methodist University, was selected 38th overall by the Columbus Crew in yesterday's SuperDraft. He was the second pick in the fourth and final round of the 12-team draft.

"I'm at the airport, so I didn't get to watch it or follow it on the Internet, so my (Honolulu Soccer Club Bulls coach Phil Neddo) called me," said Hashimoto, an Iolani alum from Kapolei. "When my phone started ringing, and I saw it was Phil, I knew what he was calling me for."

The draft took place in Philadelphia, where Hashimoto flew yesterday as part of festivities with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, where he will pick up an All-American second team award at a luncheon today. Neddo is in Philadelphia for a NSCAA convention.

"It feels pretty good to be drafted, but I'll feel a lot better when I start playing, because that's what it is all about," Hashimoto said.

Brian Ching, of Hale'iwa, is the only other Hawai'i player to be drafted. Ching, a Kamehameha alum, was drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2001 SuperDraft as the 16th overall pick. Ching, an MLS All-Star in 2004, plays for Houston, formerly the San Jose Earthquakes.

Hashimoto met Columbus' new coach Sigi Schmid several times, the most recent a few years ago when Hashimoto joined a training session with the L.A. Galaxy, which Schmid was coaching then.

"One of the first times he saw me play was at (a USYSA Far West Regional Tournament in Utah in 2002). He saw me play there a little bit," Hashimoto said. "I remember warming up on the sidelines, and seeing him standing there, and I was like, 'That's Sigi Schmid.' "

Hashimoto is still enrolled at SMU, but will have to postpone his expected May graduation to join the Crew. His first order of business is to fly to Florida for preseason training in a few weeks.

"I talked a little bit to the assistant coach for the Crew, and he didn't really say much," Hashimoto said early yesterday afternoon. "He just said 'Welcome to the team.' "

BRUIN GOES NO. 1

ASSOCIATED PRESS

UCLA defender Marvell Wynne was taken by the MetroStars with the first pick of the 2006 Major League Soccer draft yesterday.

Wynne's father, also named Marvell, played eight seasons in major league baseball with Pittsburgh, San Diego and the Chicago Cubs in the 1980s.

To get Wynne, the MetroStars traded the fifth pick in the draft and second-year defender Jason Hernandez to Chivas USA for the first pick.

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.