2007 Draft Class (Rounds 26-50)

Back again to complete the review of the 2007 draft class.  This time we will be covering picks 26-50.

RHP-Nat Lovell (26/786) Fresno CC (California)
Signed with the Royals, but never appeared in an actual game at any level within the organization.

RHP-Dane Secott (27/816) Minnesota State-Mankato (Minnesota)
Secott pitched for the Idaho Falls Chukars as a relief pitcher in 2007.  In 34.1 innings pitched he had a 0.79 ERA while allowing 20 H, 14 BB, and 31 SO.  Despite a strong first season in the organization, I have been unable to find any stats, news, or information on him beyond 2007.

2B-Fernando Garcia (28/846) Manatee CC (Florida)
Low-A – Burlington Bees
Garcia began his professional career in rookie ball with the Idaho Falls Chukars.  In 34 at bats during his 2007 season he hit 0.088/.295/.088 with 7 BB and 8 SO.  2008 saw his return to the Chukars as he hit 0.238/.311/.317 with 21 SB, 17 BB and 44 SO in 189 AB.  His improvement from 2007 to 2008 resulted in a promotion for the 2009 season.  This year he is hitting 0.275/.433/.371 with 19 SB, 44 BB and 31 SO in 167 AB for the Burlington Bees.

3B-Kyle Martin (29/876) Texas Tech University (Texas)
Low-A – Burlington Bees
Martin started out his 2007 season with the Burlington Royals where he hit 0.242/.294/.460 with 10 HR, 13 BB and 46 SO in 240 at bats.  He was bumped up to Idaho Falls where he hit 0.583/.615/1.000 with 1 HR, 1 BB, and 0 SO in 12 AB.  Martin was advanced to the low-A Burlington Bees in 2008 and hit 0.316/.373/.537 with 9 HR, 17 BB and 40 SO in 190 at bats.  He is again with the Bees for the 2009 season and is currently hitting 0.187/.261/.269 with 1 HR, 11 BB and 28 SO in 134 AB.  In his 3 seasons with the Royals he has played 1B, 2B, 3B, and SS but has seen a majority of his action this season at 3B.

1B-Brett Amyx (30/906) University of Texas-Tyler (Texas)
Amyx had a brief career in the Royals organization.  He was assigned to the Burlington Royals after signing in 2007.  He hit 0.260/.353/.395 with 21 BB and 54 SO in 177 at bats.  After being released by the Royals in April of 2008, Amyx signed with the Windy City Thunderbolts in the Independent Frontier League.

RHP-Keaton Hayenga (31/936) Eastlake HS (Sammamish, Washington)
The Royals drafted Keaton despite tearing his labrum in high school.  He has yet to throw an official pitch for the Royals organization after missing all of 2007 and 2008 recovering from injury.  Despite not throwing a pitch for the team, Baseball America has him ranked as the Royals 30th best prospect.

1B-Jake Lane (32/965) Austin Peay State University (Tennessee)
Lane started his professional career with the Burlington Royals and hit 0.315/.453/.543 with 30 BB and 50 SO in 184 at bats.  No stats or information can be found for him beyond the 2007 season.

OF-Wilson Tucker (33/994) Belmont College (Tennessee)
Low-A – Burlington Bees
Tucker started his professional career and 2007 season with the Burlington Royals.  While there he hit .298/.341/.488 with 10 BB and 36 SO in 215 AB before he was bumped up to Idaho Falls.  With the Chukars, Tucker hit .328/.348/.582 with 2 BB and 10 SO in 67 AB.  He spent the 2008 season with the Burlington Bees and went on to hit 0.184/.204/.313 with 4 BB and 39 SO in 147.  Based on his lackluster 2008 performance, Tucker is again back with the Bees this season.  So far in 2009 he is hitting 0.141/.190/.256 with 5 BB and 22 SO in 78 at bats.

C-Tom Hill (34/1023) University of Albany (New York)
Hill’s brief Royals career began and ended with the Burlington Royals in 2007.  He hit 0.247/.235/.482 with 5 BB, 15 SO, and 81 at bats before being released in early March 2008.

SS-Garrett Weber (35/1052) Clovis HS (California)
Weber did not sign with the Royals and instead attended Fresno City College where he was named to the 2008 JC All-American team.  He hit 0.450/.495/.607 with 18 SB, 16 BB, and 17 SO in 191 at bats for the Fresno City Rams.  He will be playing for Fresno State University this fall.

2B-Mike Bionde (36/1081) Rutgers University (New Jersey)
Bionde hit .228/.305/.269 with 15 BB and 29 SO in 145 at bats for Idaho Falls during the 2007 season.  He was released by the Royals in mid-March of 2008.

OF-Derek Rodriguez (37/1109) Ignacio HS (Colorado)
Rodriguez began his professional career in 2008 with the Arizona League Royals.  He hit .213/.333/.277 with 16 BB and 31 SO in 94 at bats.  He opened this season with the Burlington Royals and is currently hitting .273/.429/.273 with 2 BB and 6 SO in 11 at bats.

RHP-Brian Leach (38/1137) Northwest Mississippi CC (Mississippi)
Leach did not sign with the Royals and was drafted again by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 25th round of the 2008 draft.  He is currently pitching for their high-A affiliate the West Virginia Power.

RHP-Trevor Feeney (39/1165) Northern Illinois University (Illinois)
Feeney did not sign with the Royals.  He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 31st round of the 2008 draft and is currently pitching for their high-A affiliate in Lakeland.

RHP-Clegg Snipes (40/1193) Troy University (Alabama)
Snipes started his professional career with Idaho Falls in the rookie league.  In 63.2 innings he had a 5.37 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and 2.50 K/BB for the Chukars.  In 2008 he pitched for the Independent League Pensacola Pelicans in the American Association after being released by the Royals in late March.

RHP-Tyler Topp (41/1219) Riverside CC (California)
Topp did not sign with the Royals and instead played for California State University, Long Beach.  He was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 35th round of the 2009 draft.

RHP-Doug Antilla (42/1245) Mid-America Nazarene (Kansas)
Antilla did not sign with the Royals.  He is currently the assistant baseball coach for the Crowder College Roughriders.

LHP-Chris Snipes (43/1271) Middle Georgia College (Georgia)
Snipes elected to play for Columbus State University instead of signing with the Royals.  This past season he had a 4.76 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, and 1.63 K/SO in 39.2 innings pitched for the Cougars.

OF-Chris Hopkins (44/1297) Oregon State University (Oregon)
Hopkins did not sign with the Royals.  He was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 24th round of the 2008 draft.  He is currently playing for low-A Auburn in the New York Penn League.

C-Brandon Fowler (45/1323) Westview HS (California)
Fowler didn’t sign with the Royals until close to the signing deadline and missed out on playing in 2007.  He played for the Arizona League Royals in 2008 and hit 0.273/.438/.273 with 4 BB and 4 SO in only 11 at bats.  He was assigned to Idaho Falls on August 1st, but was reassigned on August 4th and never made an appearance for the Chukars.  The Royals released Fowler in early April.

3B-Scott Boley (46/1347) University of Toledo (Ohio)
Instead of signing with the Royals, Boley elected to return to the University of Toledo for his senior season.  In 2008 he hit 0.400/.500/.800 in 10 AB over 4 games.

RHP-John Anderson (47/1370) Bossier Parish CC (Louisiana)
Anderson did not sign with the Royals.  He transferred from Bossier Parish CC to Louisiana Tech University.  In 2009 he had a 5.68 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, and 2.17 K/BB for the Bulldogs.

3B-Devery Van De Keere (48/1392) University of Louisiana Lafayette (Louisiana)
Van De Keere began his professional career with Idaho Falls in 2007.  His first season with the Chukars, he hit 0.284/.369/.388 with 34 BB and 47 SO in 268 AB.  He repeated the level in 2008 and hit 0.280/.358/.465 with 22 BB and 39 SO in 200 AB.  Van De Keere was released by the Royals in late-March.

3B-Joseph Vierra (49/1413) Quartz Hill HS (California)
Vierra did not sign with the Royals.  In 2009 he played for the Waimea Waves in the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League.  Vierra hit 0.349/.451/.453 with 15 BB and 16 SO in 86 AB.

C-Brandon Van Riper (50/1434) Farmington HS (New Mexico)
Van Riper did not sign with the Royals and instead opted to play for Lamar CC in Colorado.  He pitched 72.1 innings in 2009 for Lamar with a 2.99 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 2.31 K/BB.  Now a RHP Van Riper will pitch for Tarleton State University (Texas) in 2010.

Thoughts:
Of the 26 picks, only 5 signed and remain in the Royals organization.  Fernando Garcia, Kyle Martin, Keaton Hayenga, Wilson Tucker, and Derek Rodriguez are the remaining hopes from the back end of the 2007 draft.  Hayenga is in the Royals top 30 but has yet to throw a pitch in an actual game.  Of all the players drafted between rounds 26 and 50, Garrett Weber is definitely the one that got away from this group.

If anyone has any information on Nat Lovell, Dane Secott, or Jake Lane, please feel free to drop a comment with an update.