Grandview High School graduate Kevin Gausman and the Baltimore Orioles beat the clock Friday, agreeing to contract terms at the last minute.
Coming off an outstanding sophomore season at Louisiana State, the Orioles made the hard-throwing right-hander the No. 4 overall pick in the June Major League Baseball draft.
Gausman received a $4.32 million bonus, slightly more than the $4.2 million suggested for the slot by Major League Baseball. The deadline for drafted players to agree to contracts or return to school was 4:59 p.m. ET Friday.
The 21-year-old Gausman endured a hectic day in Baltimore, and not just because the signing deadline was drawing near.
“It’s been kind of stressful, to be honest,” Gausman said. “I didn’t sleep very much last night, and because I got my physical done today, I wasn’t allowed to eat. I was a little bit grumpy the whole day, trying to get some food in my belly. But after I ate, I definitely felt a lot better.”
And, after agreeing to the deal, he couldn’t have been happier.
“I was confident that we were going to get a deal done,” Gausman said. “I’m just so blessed to have this opportunity.”
After the waiting, Gausman announced the news on his Twitter feed: “Happy to be the newest member of the Baltimore Orioles organization!!! Living my dream!! #GoBirds!”
Equipped with an electric fastball and a developing changeup that’s given him confidence, Gausman posted a 12-2 with a 2.77 ERA in 18 games for LSU, where he ended up after declining a contract offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010.
The Dodgers picked Gausman — who was went 5-3 with a 4.41 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 52.1 innings as a senior for Grandview — 202nd overall that year and couldn’t agree to terms with him.
Gausman will miss pitching for the Tigers.
“It was a difficult decision,” he said. “I love LSU. I think I always will. Baton Rouge will always be a second home to me.”
Gausman’s signing means that only No. 8 pick Mark Appel, a right-handed pitcher from Stanford, is the only first round pick not to agree to a deal. Appel declined to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who will receive a compensatory first round pick in 2013.
Gausman’s former batterymate with the Wolves — catcher Greg Bird – was selected in the fifth round of the 2011 MLB Draft and signed a $1.1 million deal with the New York Yankees.
Another draftee from an Aurora school, former Regis Jesuit pitcher Ty Blach, signed earlier this summer.
Blach, a standout at Creighton, was picked in the fifth round of the draft by the San Francisco Giants and wasted little time in agreeing to a deal with the team, signing on June 21. The left-handed starter went 6-6 as Creighton’s No. 1 starter and led the nation in starts with 21.
— David Ginsburg of The Associated Press contributed to this report
2012 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL DRAFT BONUSES
The signing bonuses for the first-round selections in the 2012 amateur baseball draft (AP):
1. Houston, Carlos Correa, SS, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, $4.8 million
2. Minnesota, Byron Buxton, OF, Appling County HS, Baxley, Ga., $6 million
3. Seattle, Mike Zunino, C, Florida, $4 million
4. Baltimore, Kevin Gausman, RHP, LSU, $4.32 million
5. Kansas City, Kyle Zimmer, RHP, San Francisco, $3 million
6. Chicago Cubs, Albert Almora, OF, Mater Academy, Hialeah, Fla., $3.9 million
7. San Diego, Max Fried, LHP, Harvard-Westlake HS, Encino, Calif., $3 million
8. Pittsburgh, Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford, did not sign.
9. Miami, Andrew Heaney, LHP, Oklahoma State, $2.6 million
10. Colorado, David Dahl, OF, Oak Mountain HS, Birmingham, Ala., $2.6 million
11. Oakland, Addison Russell, SS, Pace (Fla.) HS, $2,625,000
12. N.Y. Mets, Gavin Cecchini, SS, Barbe HS, Lake Charles, La., $2.3 million
13. Chicago White Sox, Courtney Hawkins, OF, Carroll HS, Corpus Christi, Texas, $2,475,000
14. Cincinnati, Nick Travieso, RHP, Archbishop McCarthy HS, Pembroke Pines, Fla., $2 million
15. Cleveland, Tyler Naquin, OF, Texas A&M, $1.75 million
16. Washington, Lucas Giolito, RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS, Santa Monica, Calif., $2,925,000
17. Toronto, D.J. Davis, OF, Stone County HS, Wiggins, Miss., $1.75 million
18. L.A. Dodgers, Corey Seager, SS, Northwest Cabarrus HS, Kanapolis, N.C., $2.35 million
19. St. Louis (Pujols-LA Angels), Michael Wacha, RHP, Texas A&M, $1.9 million
20. San Francisco, Chris Stratton, RHP, Mississippi State, $1.85 million
21. Atlanta, Lucas Sims, RHP, Brookwood HS, Lawrenceville, Ga., $1.65 million
22. Toronto (Beede-unsigned), Marcus Stroman, RHP, Duke, $1.8 million
23. St. Louis, James Ramsey, OF, Florida State. $1.6 million
24. Boston, Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State, $2.05 million
25. Tampa Bay, Richie Shaffer, 3B, Clemson, $1.71 million
26. Arizona, Stryker Trahan, C, Acadiana HS, Scott, La., $1.7 million
27. Milwaukee (Fielder-Detroit), Clint Coulter, C, Union HS, Camas, Wash., $1,675,000
28. Milwaukee, Victor Roache, OF, Georgia Southern, $1,525,000
29. Texas, Lewis Brinson, OF, Coral Springs HS, Tamarac, Fla., $1.625,000
30. N.Y. Yankees, Ty Hensley, RHP, Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe HS, $1.2 million
31. Boston (Papelbon-Philadelphia), Brian Johnson, LHP, Florida, $1,575,000
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
