BASEBALL: Kyle Russell, drafted in the third round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, signed this week. Other Longhorn draftees that have signed are: Kenn Kasparek (Seattle Mariners), Kyle Walker (Colorado Rockies) and Casey Whitmer (Washington Nationals).  Kasparek threw a no-hitter in Texas’ win over Texas State on April 29.

Whitmer has already joined the Nationals’ rookie league affiliate, the Vermont Lake Monsters in Burlington, Vt. Whitmer said he is enjoying his time up there and is glad that all his hard work has paid off and is now playing professionally.

TRACK: After winning the pole vault in the NCAA Outdoor Championship, Texas freshman Matson Wallace took the silver medal at the U.S. Junior Track and Field Championships in Columbus, Ohio. Matson had a vault of 17-05.75 feet. He advances to the IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

 SWIMMING: Texas diver Jessica Livingston and Texas-Ex Laura Wilkinson have advanced to the finals of the U.S. Olympic Trials diving competition. Wilkinson won the Olympic gold before and has a shot again tomorrow at the finals.

In the men’s trials, Texas-Ex Troy Dumais advances to the finals along with Texas senior Jonathan Wilcox.

BASKETBALL: A.J. Abrams will return for a senior season. NBA draft is June 26. D.J. Augustin, who entered the draft and hired an agent, is expected to be a lottery pick.

By David R. Henry

Daily Texan Staff           

             After Kyle Russell was drafted by the Dodgers with the 93^rd pick on day one, five more Longhorns were selected in the MLB draft.           

     Outfielder Jordan Danks was the first to go on day two, landing with the Chicago White Sox in the seventh round with the No. 210 pick overall. Danks was third on the team in batting average, hitting .321, and landing on the All-Big 12 second team. His brother John Danks also plays for the White Sox.            

      The Colorado Rockies drafted Kyle Walker with the 347^th pick of the draft in the 11^th round. Walker went 1-0 with 26 strikeouts in 17.2 innings in the 16 games he pitched in this year. As a freshman, he went 4-1 with a 3.89 ERA.           
     Pitcher Kenn Kasparek went in the 12^th round to the Seattle Mariners with the 372^nd overall pick. Kasparek went 4-3 with a 3.72 ERA in 15 starts this year. He had 76 strikeouts in 76.2 innings pitched. He had a 2.01 ERA in his last six starts.               

     Casey Whitmer got the call in the 30^th round from the Washington Nationals. He went 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 23.1 innings pitched.            

     The Minnesota Twins selected pitcher Riley Boening in the 42^nd round. Boening was 3-1 with 25 strikeouts in 44 innings pitched this year.            

    Longhorn signee Robbie Grossman was drafted in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Other Longhorn signees drafted were: RHP Taylor Jungman (LA Angels, 24^th round), LHP/1B/OF Hunter Cervenka (Red Sox, 27^th round), SS Brandon Loy (Orioles, 32^nd round) and LHP Sam Stafford (Red Sox, 40^th round).            

      Two Longhorns named to Freshmen All-American Team           

      In other Longhorn news, freshmen Chance Ruffin and Cameron Rupp made the Louisville Slugger’s Freshmen All-American team. In 10 starts, Ruffin went 7-0 with a 1.56 ERA, fanning 60 over 57.2 innings. He was also named the Big 12 Freshman Pitcher of the Year.            

      With returning starter Preston Clark hindered by an injury, Rupp appeared in 54 games with 51 starts, hitting.309 with 17 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 32 RBI.             

Houston regional all-tournament team:

Most Outstanding Player - Kyle Russell, Texas

C        Adam Zornes                                    Rice

1B      J.P Padron                                         Rice

2B      Jimmy Comerota                             Rice

SS      Rick Hague                                        Rice

3B      Preston Clark                                    Texas

OF     Kyle Russell                                       Texas

OF     Chad Mozinga                                    Rice

OF     Todd Sebek                                        Sam Houston State

P        Chance Ruffin                                    Texas

P        Scott Barnes                                       St. John’s

DH    Michael Torres                                  Michael Torres

Rice’s Bobby Bell came in and closed the door on Texas’s season.

After Tant Shepard’s one-out double and an error by Rice’s third baseman Diego Seastrunk, the Longhorns had runners at first and second with one out.  But Cameron Rupp grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the game.

Texas fails to advance out of their regional for the third consecutive year, while the Owls move on to super regionals for the third consecutive year.

Bell (1-0) gets the win for Rice, throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

Cole Green (3-7) is saddled with the loss.  The freshman gave up two hits and was charged with three earned runs in one inning of work.

Rice scored seven runs on 11 hits and committed six errors.  The Owls left nine runners on base.

Texas got four runs on six (no errors) but stranded 12 runners.  The Longhorns finish the year 39-22.

If Texas A&M wins against Houston tomorrow, Rice will travel to College Station for a three-game series with the Aggies.  If the Cougars win, Rice would host Houston in the super regional.

Tant Shepard and David Hernandez were stranded at third and second in the bottom of the seventh.

Cameron Rupp and Travis Tucker both grounded out to end Texas’ scoring threat.

Rice   7    Texas   4    after seven.