Four USF baseball players were selected in the 2004 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft; some were happier than others.

Devin Ivany (6th round), Myron Leslie (8th round) and Kyle Schmidt (14th round) were all selected on Day 1 of the draft. Mike Macaluso (29th round) was selected early on Day 2.

USF baseball coach Eddie Cardieri said he was happy for the four players selected from his team, “especially the seniors like Myron and Mac, who get their opportunity to play.”

Leslie and Macaluso seemed pleased with the way the draft turned out. Ivany, on the other hand, was far from excited.

“I’m definitely thinking about coming back to USF, that’s for sure,” Ivany said.

The junior catcher expected to go in the first three rounds after he hit .356 this year. He was first-team All-Conference USA and was second in the conference with the 24 base runners he threw out attempting to steal.

“If things went the way they were supposed to, it was going to be no question that I was going to move on and pursue my professional career, but things obviously didn’t go that way, so now you have to weigh your options,” he said. “There seems to be a couple of those right now. We’ll see what happens.”

Ivany said it seemed he would go earlier in the draft based on scout reports. He was the 23rd catcher taken in the draft and the second taken by the Expos.

“That probably has a lot to do with it, to tell you the truth,” he said. “Honestly, I kind of feel a little disrespected, because a lot of guys were taken ahead of me that really I don’t think match up talent-wise and potential. Obviously there are some that are as good as me right now or better maybe. I’ve got respect for them; if they get taken, that’s fine. But when people that aren’t close to my ability get taken in front of me, I kind of feel mistreated.”

This summer Ivany will either play in the Cape Cod League or with a team in Montreal’s minor leagues. Either way, he is sure what he has to do next year.

“If you come back, you obviously have something to prove. You obviously want to prove everybody wrong,” he said. “Of course you want to increase your draft position, but that’s not the big issue at hand, really. If they’re not going to give you what you think you deserve to take you out of college, then I might as well finish college.

“No matter where I go … if I go to college, obviously I have something to prove; if I go to the minors, obviously I have a lot to prove there.”

Ivany was drafted in the 9th round out of high school.

Kyle Schmidt will play in the Cape League for the summer before deciding if he will stay at USF for his senior year, Cardieri said.

Four high-school seniors who committed to USF were also drafted. Shortstop Ian Desmond (Sarasota) went in the third round. Pitchers Ty Pryor (27th round), Davis Bilardello (43rd round) and Blake Tillett (49th round) were also taken.