LOCAL PLAYERS IN THE MLB DRAFT: BIG DAY FOR TROJANS, BRUINS KENNEDY GOES IN THE FIRST ROUND, SEVEN UCLA PLAYERS ARE SELECTED.

Byline: HEATHER GRIPP Staff Writer

Ian Kennedy became the seventh USC baseball player since 1995 to be drafted in the firstround when he was the first local product selected Tuesday in the first day of baseball's amateur draft. Despite a disappointing season that left the junior right-hander's draft status in question, Kennedy was taken 21st overall as the first-round pick of the New York Yankees.

Kennedy was one of 23 players with local ties selected after the Kansas City Royals made pitcher Luke Hochevar, who was drafted by the Dodgers last year but did not sign, the top pick overall. The two-day draft resumes today.

Kennedy went 5-7 with a 3.90 ERA this season, but was 12-3 and an All-American as a sophomore. He has twice been a member of the U.S. national team. He ranks third all-time at USC in career strikeouts (380).

Fellow Trojans Cyle Hankerd (third round, Arizona) and Blake Sharpe (16th round, Arizona) were also drafted, but UCLA had the biggest draft day.

Seven Bruins were selected, led by junior left-hander Dave Huff, who went 39th overall as the first pick of the Cleveland Indians, who nabbed him in the supplemental first round. The only other time UCLA had as many player selected through 18 rounds was in 2000, when the Bruins went on to have an NCAA-record 12 players drafted.

Among the seven UCLA draftees was one who wasn't even a member of this season's resurgent Bruins. Jarrad Page, who was a seventh-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in this year's NFL draft, was drafted for the third time as a baseball player, being taken in the seventh round by the Angels. Page was an outfielder for UCLA in 2004 and 2005.

Pepperdine catcher Chad Tracy, the son of Pirates and former Dodgers manager Jim Tracy, went in the third round to the Texas Rangers, making him the highest Waves draft pick since pitchers Noah Lowery and Dan Haren were selected in the first and second rounds in 2001.

The top local high schooler drafted was Chatsworth right-hander Josh Ravin, who was 6-2 for this year's City Section finalists. Ravin went in the fifth round to the Cincinnati Reds. Former Oaks Christian of Westlake Village outfielder Devin Shepherd, who spent the past two seasons at Oxnard High, also went in the fifth round, to the Minnesota Twins.

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1) USC pitcher Ian Kennedy, left, had a disappointing season, but was still picked in first round.

Christian Peterson/Getty Images

(2) Chatsworth right-hander Josh Ravin was selected in the fifth round by the Cincinnati Reds.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

Box:

FIRST-DAY DRAFTEES