ASTROS AGREE TO TERMS WITH SAPP

HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros announced today that they have agreed to terms with catcher Max Sapp, the clubs first-round selection (23rd overall pick) in last weeks 2006 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Houston has also agreed to terms with 16 additional players. The announcement was made by Astros senior director of player personnel and scouting Paul Ricciarini. Sapp will be at Minute Maid Park and available to the media on Tuesday afternoon (June 20) prior to the Astros game against the Minnesota Twins. A 6-2, 220-pound high school senior from Windermere, Fla., Sapp batted .591 with nine home runs and 48 RBI to help Bishop Moore High School to a 29-2 record this past season and a third consecutive trip to the Florida state championships. He was recently named the Orlando Sentinels Central Florida Baseball Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, and he was chosen as the 4A District Player of the Year in Florida. Sapp was tabbed the 2006 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Baseball, and was named to both Baseball Americas and Louisville Sluggers pre-season high school All-American teams heading into the 2006 season. Houston had not selected a catcher with their first pick since Ramon Castro in 1994. The Astros agreed to terms with 17 total players today, including five among the clubs top 10 picks: Sapp (23rd round), OF Nick Moresi (3), RHP Casey Hudspeth (5), RHP Bud Norris (6), LHP David Qualben (7), LHP Tom Vessella (11), RHP Bryan Hallberg (12), LHP Chris Salamida (13), OF Drew Holder (16), RHP Justin Stiver (17), OF Orlando Rosales (19), LHP Antony Bello (21), RHP Chad Wagler (22), IF Tim Torres (23), IF Cirilo Cruz (27), IF Brandon Caipen (28), and RHP Kyle DeYoung (31). Moresi, the clubs 99th overall pick from Fresno State, was named to the All-WAC Tournament Team and helped the Bulldogs to the NCAA Regionals, where he garnered a spot on the All-Region Team. Hudspeth (fifth round), led the University of South Florida and ranked second in the Big East Conference with 106 strikeouts. Cruz is the nephew of Astros first base coach Jose Cruz, and the son of former Major Leaguer Tommy Cruz. Houston has agreed to terms with 23 total players among 50 selected in the two-day 2006 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft (below). Round (Pick) Player Pos. B-T Age Ht./Wt. School/Hometown 1 (23) Max Sapp C L-R 18 6-2/220 Bishop Moore HS/Windermere, FL 3 (99) Nick Moresi OF R-R 21 6-4/190 Fresno State University/Clayton, CA - MORE - 5 (159) Casey Hudspeth RHP R-R 21 6-0/185 Univ. of South Florida/Sarasota, FL 6 (189) David "Bud" Norris RHP R-R 21 6-0/195 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo/Novato, CA 7 (219) David Qualben LHP L-L 20 6-3/210 Pace Univ./Brooklyn, NY 8 (249) James Van Ostrand OF R-R 21 6-4/220 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo/Richmond, BC, Canada 11 (339) Tom Vessella LHP R-L 20 6-6/205 Whittier College/Burbank, CA 12 (369) Bryan Hallberg RHP R-R 21 6-0/205 Pace Univ./River Edge, NJ 13 (399) Chris Salamida LHP L-L 22 6-0/180 Oneota State (NY) Univ./Watervliet, NY 14 (429) Justin Tellam C R-R 21 6-3/190 Pepperdine Univ./San Clemente, CA 15 (459) Kevin Fox LHP L-L 20 6-1/180 Biola Univ./Chula Vista, CA 16 (489) Drew Holder OF R-R 22 6-0/210 Dallas Baptist Univ./Austin, TX 17 (519) Justin Stiver RHP R-R 21 6-2/190 Florida Gulf Coast Univ./Englewood, FL 18 (549) Colt Adams RHP R-R 21 6-5/220 Dixie State College/Cottonwood Heights, UT 19 (579) Orlando Rosales OF R-R 22 5-8/180 University of Tampa/Dade City, FL 21 (639) Antony Bello LHP L-L 20 6-2/200 Nova Southeastern Univ./Miami, FL 22 (669) Chad Wagler RHP R-R 22 6-1/185 Kent State Univ./Hartville, OH 23 (699) Tim Torres IF S/R 22 6-2/190 Oral Roberts Univ./ San Pablo, CA 27 (819) Cirilo Cruz IF R-R 21 6-1/215 Cumberland Univ./Arroyo, Puerto Rico 28 (849) Brandon Caipen IF R-R 22 6-0/180 Youngstown State Univ./Tallmadge, OH 30 (909) Eric Taylor IF R-R 20 6-1/195 Univ. California Los Angeles/Laguna Niguel, CA 31 (939) Kyle DeYoung RHP R-R 21 6-0/190 Florida Southern College/St. Cloud, FL 32 (969) Adam Hale RHP L-R 21 6-4/215 Texas A&M Univ./Houston, TX