HITTING HOME

Local stars stay grounded in spite of lofty draft projections

A day they dreamed about way before they teamed up for a gold medal in Canada, before they ever faced each other on the field, is about to come.

Best friends Matthew Liberatore and Nolan Gorman could hear their names among the first 10 players selected in Monday’s Major League Baseball draft.

But they’re playing it cool, blocking out the mock drafts that have them in the top 10.

They elected not to go to New York where some of the nation’s top amateur baseball players will be on hand for the MLB draft show.

They’re staying with their families, keeping the circle small, and privately taking it in.

“It’s not been settled yet,” said Gorman, a third baseman at Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor who helped lead the Eagles to their first 6A state championship in May. “The draft is so crazy. You don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Liberatore – a 6-foot-5 left-hander who struck out 104 batters in 60 1/3 innings with an ERA of 0.93 this season – and Gorman – who had 10 home runs, hit over .400 and walked 46 times – have talked to each other about the draft.

But where they might land isn’t the focus.

Jim Callis of MLB.com projects Liberatore going third overall to the Philadelphia Phillies and Gorman seventh to the San Diego Padres.

Bleacher Report has Liberatore going to the Padres at No. 7 and Gorman to the Atlanta Braves at 8.

“My expectations are never too high and never too low,” Liberatore said “School is an option. I haven’t ruled anything out yet. I’m not expecting anything.”

Both Liberatore and Gorman have signed with the University of Arizona.

Gorman said he also isn’t ruling out school.

But the pay slots that value from $8.1 million for the No. 1 pick to $2.3 million for the No. 30 pick will make it difficult to decide to hear to Tucson this summer.

Their parents and small circle of friends have helped keep them grounded.

“The circle we keep is really small because of that,” Liberatore said. “We stay humble, stay grounded and keep good people around us.”

Sandra Day O’Connor coach Jeff Baumgartner isn’t surprised to see Gorman and Liberatore among the top high school players lauded for the draft.

“Nolan Gorman is an analytical poster boy,” Baumgartner said. “All the things they are looking for nowadays in baseball, with launch angle and exit velocity, is right up his alley.

“He has offensive tools that separate him from all the other high school players in the nation. His light-tower power is on display in every batting practice and home run derby he takes part in. And his knowledge of his strike zone will help to swiftly move him up the ranks.

“Matthew Liberatore is a bulldog. Filthy four pitches and the kind of swagger to use it in any count. Best high school pitcher I have ever seen and I’m happy to see him graduate.”