USC's Roth Goes in Ninth Round to Angels

University of South Carolina senior pitcher Michael Roth of Greer, a former Riverside High School star, was picked Tuesday in the ninth round of the Major League Baseball first-year players draft by the Anaheim Angels.

Roth has helped lead the two-time national championship Gamecocks into the NCAA Super Regional this weekend against Oklahoma. The Gamecocks are two wins away from another trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

Roth is 6-1 with a 2.68 ERA this season. In 107 innings, he has allowed only 83 hits and opponents are batting .215. Roth was picked in the 31st round last year by the Cleveland Indians but chose to return to school in hopes of winning another championship and raising his stock as a prospect. He already has graduated with a 3.83 grade-point average with a double major in marketing and international business, and a minor in Spanish.

South Carolina had three other players picked on the draft’s second day, rounds two through 15. First baseman Christian Walker (Limerick, Pa.) went in the fourth round to the Tampa Bay Rays, pitcher Matt Price (Sumter) in the seventh round to the Baltimore Orioles and center fielder Evan Marzilli (Cranston, R.I.) in the eighth round to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Gamecocks also had three signees picked in the first two rounds and those players are almost sure to skip college. Shortstop Corey Seager (Concord, N.C.) went in the first round to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pitcher Jamie Callahan from Dillon High School went to the Boston Red Sox and outfielder Jamie Jarmon (Dagsboro, Del.) went to Tampa Bay, both in the second round.

Three players from Clemson went in the top 15 rounds. Junior third baseman Richie Shaffer (Charlotte) was the No. 25 overall pick of Monday’s opening round, selected by Tampa Bay.

Catcher Spencer Keiboom (Marietta, Ga.) went in the fifth round to the Washington Nationals and pitcher Kevin Brady (Gaithersburg, Md.) was a 10th round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies.

For the first time since 2005, the College of Charleston had three players drafted in the top 10 rounds. Outfielder Marty Gantt (North Augusta High), the Southern Conference player of the year after beginning his career at Spartanburg Methodist, went in the seventh round to Tampa Bay. In the eighth round, pitcher Christian Powell (Greenwood High) was picked by the Minnesota Twins and pitcher David Peterson (Walnut Creek, Calif.) went to the Atlanta Braves.

Coastal Carolina pitcher Josh Conway (Smithsburg, Md.) was drafted in the fourth round by the Chicago Cubs and catcher Harrison Frawley (Lexington High) in the eighth round by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Pitcher Michael Heesch from USC Beaufort went in the eighth round to the Cubs and shortstop Stephen Carmon (Camden High) in the 10th round to the San Diego Padres.

Wofford pitcher Alex Wilson (Landrum High) went in 15th round to Atlanta and Spartanburg Methodist freshman outfielder Bruce Caldwell (Sumter High), Region 10 player of year, also went in the 15th round to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Among the other high school players, pitcher Eric Knab from Carolina Forest in Myrtle Beach went in the 13th round to Minnesota and outfielder Kwinton Smith from Dillon went in 14th round to Texas Rangers.