"Being drafted would be an honor, but I have a great deal with Virginia, and I figure that I will win either way," said Doolittle, who was 10-0 with a 1.29 ERA this season.
On the other side is Michael McGuire, a 6-6 senior righthander from Ridley in Delaware County. In four varsity seasons, he threw just 80 innings.
McGuire had long experienced soreness, and it finally was discovered that he had a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He had surgery last June 16.
This season, he threw just 19 innings and went 1-3, but the number that counted most was on the radar gun. Still not 100 percent, he threw as fast as 94 m.p.h.
Already with a scholarship to the University of Delaware, McGuire is anxious to see if his name will appear in the draft.
"There have been about 10 teams that have kept in touch with me," he said. "Since I had the surgery my junior year, teams are cautious."
A team may draft a player and follow his progress over the summer. The moment a player enters the first day of class at a four-year college, the team loses his draft rights and the player is ineligible for the draft until after his junior year.
McGuire said he is able to throw 60 to 70 pitches a game as he continues to build his arm strength. He attended Saturday's invitation-only predraft workout at Citizens Bank Park in which the Phillies evaluate top local prospects.
"He's been hitting 90 on a consistent basis, and he's not quite there yet physically, which tells you about his ability," Ridley coach Jeff D'Orazio said.
There won't be any high school players with the credentials of Kennedy-Kenrick outfielder Chris Lubanski, who was the fifth overall pick in last year's draft by Kansas City.
Among the other potential draft picks from Southeastern Pennsylvania are Malvern Prep righthander Will Romanowicz, who is headed to Stetson, and two Division I recruits from Council Rock North: shortstop Matt Willard, who has signed with Arkansas, and righthander Tyler Flail, who received a scholarship to Winthrop.
A major-league team holds the draft rights for a junior-college player up until the week before the next year's draft. In that sense, a team has almost a year to follow a junior-college prospect. There are two such contenders in South Jersey: Shortstop Chris McConnell of Delsea in Franklinville, Gloucester County, is headed to Louisburg Junior College in North Carolina. Centerfielder Darren Ford from Vineland, Cumberland County, said he would likely attend Gloucester or Salem County College.
McConnell attended a predraft workout held by the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.
"They had 25 players at the workout, and he was one of only two high school players. And defensively, he was one of the better infielders," said Delsea coach Joe Smith, who took McConnell to the workout.
Ford, the New Jersey indoor Meet of Champions winner in the 55 meters (6.47 seconds), stole 38 bases in 39 attempts this year and covered quite a bit of ground in center field.
There likely will be a local player not named on any publication's draft list who is selected. It takes only one team to like a player, and in such a subjective and inexact science, anything can happen.
Contact staff writer Marc Narducci at 856-779-3225 or mnarducci@phillynews.com.
