ABILENE -- After more than two months of deliberation, ACU record-setting closer
Jameson Maj has signed a minor-league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, giving up his final year of eligibility with the Wildcats.
Maj, who had an NCAA Division II-record 20 saves last season for the Wildcats, was drafted by the Cardinals in the 45th round of June's Major League Baseball amateur draft. He and the Cardinals came to terms just before the newly imposed Aug. 15 deadline for teams to sign all of their 2007 draft picks or forfeit their rights. Maj will likely report to either the Batavia ( N.Y.) Muckdogs or the Palm Beath County (Fla.) Cardinals, both of which are Cardinals' Class A affiliates.
For a while it seemed as if Maj -- who was an all-star this summer in the Texas Collegiate League -- would turn down the Cardinals and return to the Wildcats. However, he finally agreed to the Cardinals' terms of a contract and money to pay for the remainder of his education, giving up his collegiate eligibility. Terms of Maj's contract were not released.
ACU head coach
Britt Bonneau said Friday that he is sorry to lose Maj, but the opportunity was one he couldn't turn down.
"We've talked some since he was drafted and we've talked about the opportunity in front of him," Bonneau said. "It was one he really couldn't turn down, and I'm happy for him."
Maj's loss, however, leaves a huge hole at the end of the Wildcats' pitching staff.
A first team all-America this season by both the American Baseball Coaches' A ssociation and Daktronics, Maj led the nation with 20 saves, tying the NCAA Division II record set by Adam Zimmerman of St. Joseph's (Ind.) in 2005. Maj finished the season with a 5-3 record and 1.00 ERA to go along with the 20 saves and 72 strikeouts in 54 innings of work. Maj was named first team all-LSC South Division and was named the division's Pitcher of the Year.
He was especially dominant over the last two months of the season. From March 24 through the end of the season, he appeared in 22 games (34 2/3 innings), allowing just 16 hits and two runs (both earned) while striking out 52 batters and, amazingly, walking just one batter.
Maj is the fourth ACU player to be drafted since
Britt Bonneau became the Wildcats' head coach in 1997, joining Adam Thomas (19th round by Baltimore in 2001), Franki Keller (10th round by Cincinnati in 2002) and Joel Wells (21st round by New York Mets in 2006) on the list. The only other Wildcat baseball player to be drafted was pitcher Bill Gilbreth, who was drafted in the third round by Detroit in 1969.
Right around the time Maj was drafted, however, the Wildcats added junior college pitcher
Preston Vancil, who was the closer for American River College (Calif.) last season. Vancil was 3-2 with five saves and a 2.90 ERA as a sophomore.
"We weren't really counting on Jameson coming back, so that's why we though it was imperative to go get another closer," Bonneau said. "Preston's a guy who has handled that role in the past, and we'll use the fall to see if he's our best option at the end of a game. You're looking for a guy who is mentally tough to come into those late-game situations, and we'll use the next few months to see which guys fit that mold and fill the role."
