Justin Myers is a Buckeye AND a Red.

Thursday, June 07, 2001

Justin Myers is a Buckeye AND a Red.

Myers, the 6-foot-5 senior righthanded pitcher for the Symmes Valley Vikings, signed last spring with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Wednesday he became a possible member of the Cincinnati Reds franchise after being drafted in the 38th round of the annual Major League Baseball draft.

Myers must now decide whether to attend Ohio State and pitch for the Buckeyes or sign a contract with the Reds in which he will spend the summer in the minor leagues.

Speculation is Myers plans to attend Ohio State and wait for the amateur draft in three more years when he becomes eligible again following his junior season.

"If the deal’s not right, I’ll probably go to college. I’ve talked to the (Ohio State) pitching coach Pat Bankston. They don’t want me to go pro. They say I’m not ready. It’s a pretty tough decision. Ohio State is pretty awesome," Myers said in an interview last month.

Myers is vacationing in Florida and was not available for comment at press time.

For his career, Myers was 21-4 with 316 strikeouts and 68 walks in 175 innings and an earned run average of 1.25.

CINCINNATI (AP) – The two-day amateur baseball draft ended Wednesday with the Cincinnati Reds picking 27 pitchers, eight infielders, seven outfielders and eight catchers.

On Tuesday, when the first 20 rounds were completed, the Reds’ top pick was 18-year-old left-hander Jeremy Sowers of Louisville, Ky. Sowers averaged nearly two strikeouts an inning this spring, while allowing one walk every seven innings.

The top Ohio pick was right-hander Steven Kelly of Hamilton in the fourth round.

Four more Ohioans were chosen Wednesday. They are right-hander Joseph Powers, of Cincinnati (23rd round); left-hander Curtis Moak, of Hamilton (25th round); right-hander Justin Myers, of Scottown (38th round) and catcher Bart Hunton, of Dublin (46th round).