Former Pacelli High School and Stevens Point American Legion Post 6 star Kevin Sullivan is now in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.
Sullivan, who started at catcher for Carthage College in Kenosha for four years, was drafted by the Phillies Tuesday in the 32nd round of Major League Baseball's June Amateur Draft. He was the 15th selection in the round.
Sullivan got the news from his sister, who was following the draft on the Internet. "It's pretty exciting," he said. "It's something I've always wanted to do."
The 1996 Pacelli graduate attended tryouts Thursday in Wrigley Field and Friday at Milwaukee County Stadium. He said scouts had a lot of interest in him, from teams like the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, Minnesota Twins and Montreal Expos.
Sullivan said scouts had told him earlier that he might go between the eighth and 20th round, but a late-season pulled quadriceps muscle may have caused him to drop a bit.
"I don't really care. I just want a chance," Sullivan said about the round he was drafted in.
This is the second time Sullivan's name was called in the draft. The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him in the 61st round in 1996 after he finished his high school career. Sullivan chose to play collegiately at Carthage instead.
"I knew I wasn't ready. I didn't think I was physically or mentally ready," Sullivan said. "After starting four years in a row at Carthage, I'm ready to go."
Sullivan said he will report to the Phillies rookie camp in Clearwater, Fla, Monday. When the camp is finished, the organization will assign him to one of its minor league teams. The Phillies' rookie league team is based in Clearwater and plays in the Gulf Coast League. The organization has a Class A team in Batavia, New York - the Batavia Muckdogs - which plays in the short-season New York Penn League. The Piedmont Boll Weevils in Kannapolis, North Carolina and the Clearwater Phillies are the organization's other two Class A-level teams.
Sullivan is the second Pacelli High School graduate to be drafted in as many years. Chris Simonson was selected in the 43rd round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1999. Simonson is pitching for the Mudville Nine in Stockton, Calif., one Milwaukee's two Class A teams.