Beaver State an ironic destination for one Emerald.

Byline: Steve Mims The Register-Guard

Finding out that he was being sent to Oregon to begin his professional baseball career did not exactly resurrect good memories for former Georgia pitcher Adam McDaniel.

"Oregon State put us out of the College World Series last year, and then we played them three times this year and they beat us all three times," McDaniel recalled. "I will tip my hat to four career losses against Oregon State, but they are a good program."

At least McDaniel will spend the summer in a city with many others who have not-so-friendly feelings about Oregon State.

"I did become a Duck fan," he said with a laugh.

McDaniel helped Georgia reach the College World Series in two of the past three years, but this season the Bulldogs missed the postseason. So McDaniel is watching the games from Omaha on television while preparing to begin his pro career when the Eugene Emeralds open the Northwest League season at Spokane on Tuesday.

McDaniel is rooting for Southeastern Conference rival Mississippi State, but as someone who played against a few of the teams in the CWS during the college season and played with and against some individuals in the tournament last summer in the Cape Cod League, he is an educated analyst on the field.

"I've got to feel Rice and North Carolina have got an edge," McDaniel said. "Both have good pitching staffs and that will propel you. Oregon State has struggled with the bat a little bit, but they can pitch and as long as you can pitch in the World Series, you can stay in. Arizona State has some power bats, but they don't pitch quite as well. It should be fun to watch. I love to watch it because it is something I can relate to. I've been there."

McDaniel has seen the games at Rosenblatt Stadium from two different angles. He was a shortstop when the Bulldogs reached the semifinals during his freshman year, and then he was on the mound when Georgia went two-and-out last season.

McDaniel was recruited as an infielder after he hit .424 with seven home runs as a senior at McEachern High School, and he played in the field for 69 games during his first two seasons at Georgia, including 37 starts primarily at third base. He had a two-year batting average of .243 with one home run and 13 RBIs when his coaches approached him about switching to the mound as a junior.

"We lost our entire bullpen to the draft that year," McDaniel said. "I wanted to help the team any way I could and my coach ended up coming to me and said 'I think pitching is the best fit. Your arm is strong, so we want to put you on the mound.' It has been a slow process because I had never pitched in my life, so I was having to learn everything as I go on the fly. It has been tough, but I like it. I like it a lot better than playing in the field."

McDaniel never returned to the infield, instead choosing to focus strictly on pitching.

"They were going to try to have me do both in the fall, but my arm just wasn't going to take it," said the 22-year old from Powder Springs, Ga. "It would have been tough playing third and pitching; it just wasn't going to work out. Plus, I felt I would be average at both, so if I was going to switch, I wanted to really do it."

McDaniel went 2-1 in 21 relief appearances as a junior, and this spring he was 2-0 with a 6.75 ERA in 15 games out of the bullpen. He struck out 16 batters in 16 innings as a senior and had three appearances in which he threw two scoreless innings.

"I've tried to learn from watching other guys," said McDaniel, who throws a fastball, slider and changeup. "Picking and choosing what I think works well for me. I have gotten 10 times better than when I started and that was just a year ago. Hopefully, I will progress fast."

The San Diego Padres liked McDaniel's potential and selected the 6-foot-1, 210-pound right-hander in the 19th round of the draft earlier this month. McDaniel was a closer in the Cape Cod League last summer when scouts began to watch him pitch.

"I was never really on any draft boards until I went to the Cape last summer and had a pretty good summer," he said. "That really helped me get some attention. I was not worried about the draft, I just wanted to go somewhere and get an opportunity to play. The Padres decided to take a chance on me, so I won't let them down."

McDaniel figures to work out of the Ems bullpen this season after pitching in relief during all 36 appearancs at Georgia. After watching his college season end earlier than usual, McDaniel is ready to begin his first year in the minors.

"I'm so excited, just ready to play again," McDaniel said. "I haven't played since about May 15th. It's been a while, so I am ready to get back out there."