Issue date: 6/4/08 Section: Sports

First baseman Jeremy Hamilton is expeected to be drafted within the first five rounds of the Major League Baseball draft on Thursday, June 5. Hamilton would be the first Raider to be drafted in the opening five since pitcher Joe Smith was picked up by the Mets back in 2006.

Spring of 2008 brought another great season of baseball from the Wright State Raiders and one of their most talented stars.

With his junior year behind him, first baseman Jeremy Hamilton is entering the MLB First-Year Player Draft, to be held Thursday and Friday of this week.

After having another outstanding season with WSU, Hamilton is rumored to be a top-to-middle-round pick in the draft.

"I've been told I'm a one- to five-round prospect," said Hamilton of his outlook, "[I'm] looking to follow in Joe [Smith's] footsteps."

Smith, a Raider pitcher from 2004-06, went in the third round of the 2006 draft to the New York Mets and became the second player to be called up to the major leagues from that entire year's draft class.

Most any major league club would be crazy to overlook a player with Hamilton's numbers. He finished the year with a .410 batting average, .716 slugging percentage and .515 on-base percentage, all good enough for top-40 placement in the national rankings.

In addition, Hamilton was named the Horizon League Player of the Year, represented Team USA in Olympic Baseball this past summer and was named a semifinalist for the 2008 Golden Spike award, the top prize for amateur players throughout the entire country.

When asked if there were any team he dreams of being selected by, Hamilton replied, "I have always wanted to be a Yankee. They have been following me since the end of the summer."

However, even if he doesn't end up wearing Pinstripes in the Bronx, the first-baseman is just glad to be considered. "There are 29 other teams who have picks so I'm just thankful that I'm even in the mix."

To check out where Hamilton goes in the 2008 MLB Draft, televised coverage of the first few rounds will be on ESPN2 Thursday from 2-6 p.m. and live on MLB.com until all picks have been made on Friday.

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