University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Josh Karp Selected Sixth Overall In Major League Baseball Draft
June 5, 2001
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- UCLA junior righthanded pitcher Josh Karp (Bothell, WA/Bothell HS) was selected sixth overall by the Montreal Expos in today's Major League Baseball draft. Karp is joined by teammates Jon Brandt, Josh Canales and Randall Shelley, who were also chosen in the draft today.
"I am really, really excited to be drafted by the Expos. This is a great situation for me. To be the 6th pick overall, I am ecstatic. I cannot wait to be part of the Expos organization," said Karp.
Karp is the 17th UCLA player to be chosen in the first round, joining Chase Utley, Eric Valent, Troy Glaus and Jim Parque in recent years.
Karp's name is all over the UCLA career record books after just three years. He is fifth in wins (23) and games started (44), and is in sixth place with 262 career strikeouts. This season, he finished the year with a 5-2 record and had a 3.26 ERA. He recorded 92 strikeouts on 80.0 innings. He has a career 4.21 ERA.
Senior righthanded pitcher Jon Brandt (Palo Alto, CA/Palo Alto HS) was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 16th round. Like Karp, Brandt made his way into the UCLA career record book. He is fifth all-time with 265 strikeouts, and seventh with 75 appearances over his four years. He earned All-Pac-10 honorable mention honors twice and was a member of the USA National Team in the summer of 1999. He finished the 2001 season with a 4.93 ERA, lowering his career ERA to 5.08. Brandt was selected in the 50th round of the 1997 draft after his senior year of high school.
Senior infielder Josh Canales (Carson, CA/Carson HS) was also selected in the 16th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 2001 All-Pac-10 selection finished the season with a .376 batting average and hit .421 in Pac-10 play. He transferred to UCLA from Florida before the 2000 season, and played shortstop for the Bruins in 2000, before moving to second base for most of the 2001 season. Canales was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 19th round of the 1997 draft out of high school.
Junior third baseman Randall Shelley (Coto de Caza, CA/Santa Margarita HS) was chosen by the Texas Rangers in the 17th round. This is the second time that the Rangers have drafted Shelley. He was chosen by the Rangers in the 22nd round of the 1998 draft.
The draft concludes on Wednesday with rounds 21-50.