Cal State's Hann signs with Mariners

            "I was set on moving on with my life, finishing up my classes for my degree," said Hann by phone Monday.

            The Mariners had told him previously that they projected him as a pick anywhere from rounds 17 to 25, Hann said.

            However, to his surprise, the Seattle Mariners called him up Sunday night, asking him if he'd signed with anybody yet. The answer was "no." Then, the Mariners offered him a contract which he plans to sign on Thursday and then report to the Mariners' spring training complex in Peoria, Ariz., on Saturday.

            "I was pretty shocked to be honest," Hann said regarding the phone call from the Mariners scout who followed him this season and observed him in bullpen sessions after the season ended last month. "It (phone call) came out of the blue"

            Hann will get the standard Class A minor league contract giving him $1,100 a month on top of a $1,000 signing bonus, not big bucks by high draft standards, but he's now in the pros.

            He becomes the 24th Cal State San Bernardino player drafted or signed by Major League Baseball since Don Parnell became the head coach of the Coyotes in 1991-92. His teammate, pitcher Matt Long, was drafted Friday by the Tampa Bay Rays and reports to Vero Beach, Fla., a rookie league club later this week.

            Long has earned his bachelor's degree in  English from CSUSB while Hann has four classes remaining to complete his degree in marketing.

            In two seasons with the Coyotes, Hann posted a 9-9 record in 25 appearances. He started 23 games and had three complete games. In 139 innings, he struck out 111 batters and walked only 39 and posted a 4.54 earned run average. He was 5-2 in 2008 with a 3.59 ERA, walking just 10 batters in 67 innings while striking out 55.

            Hann had two brilliant outings in 2008. He pitched a two-hit shutout in a victory over Cal State Stanislaus on March 29 and followed it up with seven shutout innings in a victory over Cal State Monterey Bay on April 6. He was honored as a CCAA conference pitcher of the week.

            The 6-6, 230-pound hurler was an all-CCAA conference honorable mention in 2008.

            Before coming to CSUSB in 2006-07, Hann played two years of baseball at San Jose City College earning all-conference honors. He was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005 but did not sign.

            He was an all-CIF Central Coast pitcher for two years and an small schools division all-state selection at Valley Christian High School in Santa Clara, his hometown, graduating in 2003. He signed with San Jose State. After one year with the Spartans he transferred to San Jose City College.