With the 116th overall pick in the 2011 Major League Baseball draft, the San Francisco Giants selected USC Trojans third baseman, Ricky Oropesa.
Oropesa was a standout at Etiwanda High in Rancho Cucamonga and the 108th rated high school player in the nation by Baseball America before joining the Trojans in 2009.
As a freshman, Oropesa earned Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America honors and was a Pac-10 Conference honorable mention after starting 51 of 54 games for USC and leading the team in home runs and RBI's with 13 and 48, respectively.
[Watch clips of Oropesa during the Cape Cod HR Derby]
The following year, Oropesa again was a major offensive force for the Trojans, batting .353 with 20 home runs and 67 RBI's, all team bests.
Oropesa again led USC in the triple crown categories this past year as a junior, posting a batting average of .322 with 7 home runs and 44 RBI's while earning a second consecutive All-Pac-10 Conference nod.
In three seasons with the Trojans, Oropesa sports an impressive .596 career slugging percentage and a .409 on-base percentage, and he currently ranks fifth on USC's all-time list in home runs (40) and RBI's (159).
Given his reputation as one of the Pac-10's premier hitters and his overall production during his time at USC, Oropesa could be a potential third round steal for the Giants.
© 2011 Neal J. Leitereg -- All Rights Reserved
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