Coyote pitcher gets call from Marlins

Junior right-handed pitcher Erick Carrillo of Cal State San Bernardino was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 19^th round of  Major League Baseball's first-year draft on Wednesday.

Carrillo, a Bloomington resident and graduate of Kaiser High School in Fontana, is expected to sign with the Marlins, forgoing his senior season with the Coyotes.

"We hate to lose him out of our program," said CSUSB Head Coach Don Parnell, "but we are excited for him and we wish him well."

The 6-1, 190-pound Carrillo posted a 4-5 record with CSUSB in 2009 with a 5.60 earned run average in 11 appearances, all starts. In 62 innings pitched, he struck out 51 batters and opponents batted .276 against him.

The most impressive of his four wins was a 7-0 shutout of Cal State Monterey Bay in which he allowed just three hits in six innings while striking out seven. He was the winning pitcher in a 7-3 win over San Francisco State, going eight innings, allowing just six hits and fanning six batters.

He went 5.2 innings in a 9-3 season-opening win over Grand Canyon in February and went 7.1 innings, allowing just five hits, in an 8-6 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Parnell said Carrillo's strong suit is his 90-plus mile an hour fastball and a sharp slider and the fact he is "a competitive kid."

Scouts who have discussed Carrillo's potential with Parnell indicated his initial spot on a pitching staff at the pro level may be as a middle reliever, although that could change as he develops, Parnell said.

Carillo is the 25^th Cal State San Bernardino player to be drafted or signed by Major League Baseball clubs since Parnell came to the university in 1991-92. He follows pitchers Cheyne Hann (Seattle Mariners) and Matt Long (Tampa Bay Rays) who were drafted or signed in 2008; outfielder Justin Roberson (signed by St. Louis Cardinals in 2007) and four pitchers who were drafted in 2006 - Doug Brandt (L.A. Angels); Mike Rocco (Chicago White Sox); Rylan Hanks (Marlins), and Kevan Kelley (Marlins).

Carillo pitched two seasons at Riverside Community College before transferring to CSUSB and was a member of the 2007 state JC champion Tigers team. He played four years of baseball at Kaiser for Coach Mike Spinuzzi, earning all-league honors three times and all-San Bernardino County honors in 2005.

He is a business management major. His parents are Mauricio and Aracely Carrillo of Bloomington.

At least two other California Collegiate Athletic Association players were taken in the early rounds on day two of the draft. Matthew Hopps, a 6-5 right-handed pitcher from Cal State Dominguez Hills, was taken in the ninth round by the Chicago White Sox. Dakota Watts, a pitcher from Cal State Stanislaus went to the Minnesota Twins in the 16^th round.