LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.’s Issac Morales, who finished his collegiate career with more wins than any pitcher in the program’s history, was selected by the Florida Marlins Thursday on Day 3 of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft.
Morales was one of six California Collegiate Athletic Association players to be drafted on the third and final day of the draft. A total of 10 CCAA players were taken in all. Morales was taken in the 34th round by the Marlins.
Morales recorded a 24-8 record in his brilliant four-year Cal State L.A. career. He earned All-West Region and All-CCAA honors in each of his last three years as a Golden Eagle and helped Cal State L.A. win the 2007 West Region championship.
“I’m really excited, it’s a dream come true,” Morales said. “Actually, it’s not a dream come true yet. I still have to make it to the Big Leagues.”
He said he woke up Thursday morning optimistic he would hear his name called. He had spoken with a representative of the Marlins on Wednesday who told him the organization was impressed when Morales told him that if they signed him, he’d make it to the Majors.
“He told me they were excited when I told him that and there was a good chance they’d draft me, but he couldn’t promise me anything,” Morales said. “I wasn’t expecting anything after what happened last year so it was a great feeling to hear my name.”
As a junior in 2008, Morales had an outstanding year and compiled a 9-1 record with a 2.47 earned run average and was disappointed when he was not selected. He came back and set the new program record for career wins at Cal State L.A. by going 5-4 with a 4.23 earned run average in 2009 as a senior.
“I had a lot of fun playing here at Cal State L.A. with all the different coaches,” said Morales, who played for three head coaches in his four years with the program, including Vince Beringhele for the past two. “They really helped develop me. I was really disappointed last year because I thought I would get drafted after the year I had, but Vince told me to keep my head up. I’m very happy right now.”
“I couldn’t be happier for Isaac, he truly deserves the opportunity that he’s going to be getting,” Beringhele said. “The Marlins got a tremendous pitcher whose competitiveness can’t be measured by a radar gun. Someone who has won more games than any other pitcher in Cal State L.A. history has definitely proven he’s earned a shot at the next level.”
Morales was the second Cal State L.A. player taken in the 2009 draft.
Travis Tartamella, a junior catcher, was taken on Wednesday in the 19
th round by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Cal State L.A. recorded a 32-17 overall record in 2009 and qualified for the four-team CCAA Championship Tournament for the third time in four years.