No. 1 pick Strasburg is not the only top 10 pick from San Diego in this year's selections. California also is second to none in this draft with 12 picked out of the first 44, which is more than 25 percent.

By Mark Tennis, Executive Editor

It was another banner year for California prep baseball players and former California prep baseball players in Tuesday's Major League Baseball Draft, held in Secaucus, New Jersey.

It began immediately as Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State became the third No. 1 overall pick from San Diego in the last 10 years. By the time the first round was complete, eight of the 32 selections were Californians. Four more went by the 44th choice in the supplemental phase of the first round.

Stephen attended West Hills High of Santee before he went to SDSU. He had been projected to be the No. 1 pick for several months and was chosen by the Washington Nationals.

In 2004, Matt Bush from Mission Bay High School was the No. 1 overall pick by the hometown San Diego Padres. He has yet to play in the major leagues.

In 2000, Adrian Gonzalez from Eastlake High School of Chula Vista was the No. 1 overall pick. Adrian, of course, has played in the majors and currently leads the major leagues in home runs for the Padres. He was picked after high school by the Florida Marlins.

Another top 10 pick in this year's draft from San Diego is pitcher Mike Leake. The Arizona State player was tabbed at No. 8 by the Cincinnati Reds and is from Fallbrook High.

The first California prep player chosen went at No. 5 in the first round, which was power pitcher-power hitter Matt Hobgood of Norco. Hobgood, who went 11-1 on the mound and hit 21 homers for the Cougars, was selected by the Baltimore Orioles and shot up the board in the last days before the draft even though his last outing – a 7-4 loss to Mater Dei of Santa Ana – was not successful.

Tyler Matzek from Capistrano Valley of Mission Viejo, who some had projected to be in the top 10, was picked at No. 11 in the first-round by the Colorado Rockies. Matzek just completed a more dominant CIF Southern Section playoff run than Hobgood with 19 2/3 scoreless innings.

The next Californian to go was just two picks later at No. 13 with shortstop Garrett Green of USC being chosen by the Oakland Athletics. Green starred at Canyon of Anaheim before heading to Troy.

Another shortstop was next at No. 21 as Jiovanni Mier from Bonita High of La Verne went to the Houston Astros. He's been compared favorably to another shortstop from Southern California, Nomar Garciaparra (Bellflower St. John Bosco).

Two college players rounded out the first-round group at No. 31 and No. 32, respectively. At No. 31 by the Chicago Cubs was outfielder Brett Jackson of Cal while at No. 32 by the Rockies was outfielder Tim Wheeler from Sacramento State.

We remember watching Jackson prior to his senior season at Miramonte of Orinda at an Area Code Games tryout held at Billy Hebert Field in Stockton. Wheeler was at that event as well, but we more remember him from also being a quarterback at El Camino of Sacramento. El Camino also is the alma mater of current major league star Derrek Lee of the Cubs.

Two other California prep players who were thought to be possible first-round picks – pitchers Matt Davidson of Yucaipa and Tyler Skaggs of Santa Monica – were taken at No. 35 and No. 40, respectively, in the compensation phase of the first-round. Davidson was chosen by the Arizona Diamondbacks while Skaggs is headed to the negotiating table with the nearby L.A. Angels of Anaheim.

Just two picks after Skaggs, the next two at No. 43 and No. 44 also were Californians. This would be Brad Boxberger, who pitched for USC this season but before that was an all-stater at Foothill of Tustin, and Tanner Scheppers, a former Fresno State standout now with the St. Paul Saints independent team. Boxberger was chosen by the Reds with Scheppers, who went to high school at Dana Hills of Dana Point, going to the Texas Rangers.

Note: In addition to being the third No. 1 pick from San Diego in the last 10 years, Strasburg also is the ninth from California overall to be the initial selection. Bush was the last from the state in that position in 2004, which was preceded just the year before by Delmon Young of Camarillo. Gonzalez was No. 1 in 2000 and two years before that in 1998 it was Pat Burrell from Bellarmine of San Jose. Others on the list are Phil Nevin from El Dorado of Placentia (1992), Darryl Strawberry from Crenshaw of Los Angeles (1980), Jeff Burroughs from Wilson of Long Beach (1969) and Tim Foli from Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks (1968).

Check out ESPN's extensive baseball draft coverage on numerous sites and platforms for continuing coverage throughout the day on Wednesday.

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