LSU SENIORS JOIN MLB ORGANIZATIONS

BATON ROUGE, La. - LSU senior pitcher Will Harris was selected Tuesday in the ninth round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Colorado Rockies while senior outfielder Quinn Stewart signed a free-agent deal with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The first 18 rounds of the draft were completed Tuesday. The draft will conclude Wednesday with Rounds 19-50. Harris, an infielder and relief pitcher during his four-year career at LSU, posted a 1-2 mark, four saves and a 3.79 ERA out of the bullpen in 2006. The Slidell, La., native worked 19 innings, recording seven walks and 20 strikeouts. As LSUs starting third baseman in 06, Harris hit .252 with six homers, 30 RBI and a team-high 18 doubles. As a fifth-year college senior, Stewart, a native of Rowlett, Texas, was eligible to sign a free-agent deal with the team of his choice, and he came to terms with Tampa Bay. Stewart completed the 2006 season as the SEC leader in home runs with 23. A first-team all-SEC selection, he batted .287 with nine doubles, three triples and a team-best 56 RBI. Two LSU baseball signees were selected in the draft Tuesday - infielder Ryan Adams of Jesuit High School in New Orleans (2nd round, 58th pick, Baltimore) and infielder Stephen King of Winter Park High School in Orlando, Fla. (3rd round, 91st pick, Washington). Another LSU signee, infielder Milton Loo of Yavapai (Ariz.) Community College, signed a free-agent agreement with the Cincinnati Reds. In addition, LSU football signee Jared Mitchell, an outfielder from Westgate High School in New Iberia, La., was selected in the 10th round of the draft by the Minnesota Twins.