Drafted in the 6th round (188th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2005 (signed for $60,000).
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Senior RHP Neil Jamison passed up an opportunity to go pro last year when he rejected an eighth-round offer from the Mets. He may not have hurt himself by returning to Long Beach for his senior year. As one of the nation's premier closers, he didn't allow an earned run in his first 24 innings this year. He saved 11 games, posted a 4-0 record and had walked just two batters while striking out 21. He is loose and athletic with two quality pitches: an aggressive 88-92 mph fastball and a 79-82 slider with depth. He has a feel for a changeup, but rarely used it in his current role. He has the makeup to close and could be effective in that role in the low minors, but projects as a big league set-up man because he doesn't have a pitch to put away quality lefthanded hitters. As a senior sign, he'll be attractive to a team that values performance over raw stuff.
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