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USC baseball 2011 signees Travis Harrison, Christon Lopes opt for MLB

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USC Trojans Examiner

USC Trojans baseball lost two 2011 signees on Tuesday after third baseman Travis Harrison and shortstop Christian Lopes opted to sign with the Major League Baseball teams that drafted them in June.

Both Harrison and Lopes took their decision down to the wire, signing their minor league contracts in the closing moments before Monday's midnight deadline.

According to ESPN's Pedro Moura, the Trojans' two top recruits signed lucrative deals with their respective ball clubs:

Harrison, a supplemental first round selection of the Minnesota Twins, signed for a reported $1.1 million. Lopes, who was thought to have potential to turn down an MLB team and go to USC, signed with the Toronto Blue Jay, who took him in the seventh round, for a reported $800,000.

A number of other members of USC's incoming class that were drafted in the 2011 MLB Draft opted not to sign minor league deals and will join the Trojans in the fall. Those players include outfielder Ryan Garvey, LHP pitcher Stephen Tarpley, RHP pitcher Wyatt Strahan, third baseman Trent Boras and shortstop Dante Flores.

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© 2011 Neal J. Leitereg -- All Rights Reserved

USC baseball lost two 2011 signees late Monday night to the major leagues.
USC baseball lost two 2011 signees late Monday night to the major leagues.
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Neal studied Imaginative Writing, Literature and Digital Publishing at Arizona State. As a California native, Neal has followed the California sports scene, including Pac-10 sports in general and USC athletics in particular, for many years.

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