Three Local Players Lined up for Baseball Draft

This story last updated at 8:20 a.m. Tuesday

Three baseball players with Palm Desert High school ties are expected to be chosen in the 2012 Major League baseball draft, which started Monday evening. 

Tanner Rahier chose not to play for the Palm Desert Aztec teams that have won two CIF titles in the last three years. Still, Rahier was expected to be drafted late in the first round after impressing scouts with his play in a spring wooden-bat league and workouts with .   For unknown reasons, Rahier slipped thtough the 31 picked on the first round, and an additional 29 picks in the Compensation round without his name being called.

The highest a valley player has been chosen was in 1982, when the Dodgers took Coachella Valley High’s Richard Flores in the second round. 

Ryan Garvey is also expected to chosen -- for a second time.   The 2011 Palm Desert graduate turned down an and a scholarship to USC, instead opting for a year at Riverside City College.   The son of former Dodger great Steve Garvey chose RCC because of it’s nationally knows reputation as a top baseball school at the community college level. 

Jonathan Serven will graduate Palm Desert high next week with a on his baseball resume.  If drafted, the elder of the Serven brothers will have to choose between a pro career and a scholarship to play baseball at Cal State Long Beach starting in the fall. 

All three players are listed in Baseball America’s top 500 prospects list.

Rahier is listed at #34, although many experts see the shortstop being picked as early as #20 in tonight’s first round.    Serven is ranked at #442 on the prospect list, with Garvey at #452.

The second through 15th rounds takes place starting at 9:00 a.m Tuesday, with rounds 16 through 40 taking place Wednesday.    You can follow along pick by pick via www.mlb.com