Six LSU baseball players and seven high school Tiger recruits were drafted June 7 and 8 in the 2005 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Senior outfielders Ryan Patterson and Nick Stavinoha, senior infielder Clay Harris, junior pitchers Greg Smith and Jason Determann and junior catcher Matt Liuzza were selected by MLB teams.
Patterson was the first Tiger drafted when the Toronto Blue Jays chose him in the third round as the 116th pick.
The Rowlett, Texas native batted .369 (92-for-249) this season with 23 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs, 74 runs and 56 RBIs.
He was named a 2005 first-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Sports Weekly/ESPN as well as first-team all-Southeastern Conference.
Patterson finished his career at LSU ranked second in doubles, fifth in home runs, total bases and hits, and ninth in RBI and runs.
Smith, an Alexandria, La. native, was drafted in the sixth round by Arizona Diamondbacks as the 171st selection.
The 2005 first-team all-SEC Conference performer posted a 10-3 record with a 2.60 earned run average and pitched 104 innings while allowing 30 earned runs with 25 walks and 82 strikeouts this season.
Smith also tossed three complete games with two shutouts during this season, his first as a starter. Prior to 2005, Smith had been a relief pitcher for the Tigers.
Smith could return to LSU for his final year of eligibility, but Bill Franques, an LSU associate sports information director, said Smith will probably sign with the Diamondbacks because he was chosen in the sixth round.
The Arizona Cardinals drafted Stavinoha in the seventh round as the 230th pick.
Stavinoha, from Houston, Texas, posted a team-high .370 batting average (95-for-257) with 23 doubles, one triple, 18 home runs, 50 runs and 65 RBIs.
He was named to the 2005 second-team all-SEC, and was the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional after batting .647 (11-for-14) in four games with three doubles, one home run, three runs and six RBIs.
The Philadelphia Phillies selected Harris, a two-time all-SEC selection, in the ninth round as the 277th pick.
Harris started 200 games during his career at LSU with starts at first base, second base and third base. He also made 16 appearances as a pitcher.
Harris hit .362 this season with 20 doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 41 runs and 60 RBIs.
He ended his career ranked fifth in LSU history in RBI and eighth in doubles.
The Chicago Cubs drafted Liuzza in the 30th round as the 910th pick, and the Boston Red Sox drafted Determann in the 35th round as the 1,068th selection.
Franques said Liuzza will return to LSU for his senior season, but Determann will forgo his to attend medical school.
 
LSU RECRUITS DRAFTED
Franques said it is very likely that four of the seven LSU recruits that were drafted will forgo college and turn professional.
The Baltimore Orioles used the 13th overall selection in the draft to choose catcher Brandon Snyder of Westfield High School in Centreville, Va.
The Atlanta Braves drafted pitcher Beau Jones of Destrehan High School in Destrehan, with the 41st pick.
Jones was recently named Mr. Baseball by the Louisiana Sports Writer’s Association.
The award is given to the state’s top high school baseball player.
Pitcher Josh Wall of Central Private High School in Baker, was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second round as the 71st pick.
The Tampa Bay Devilrays drafted pitcher Jeremy Hellickson of Hoover High School in Des Moines, Iowa, in the fourth round as the 118th choice.
Franques said Snyder, Jones, Wall and Hellickson will most likely forgo their careers at LSU because of their high draft status.
The three LSU recruits Franques said he believes will attend LSU despite being drafted are outfielder Jarrod Bogany, catcher Robert Lara and shortstop Jason Ogata.
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Bogany of George Bush High School in Houston, Texas, in the 15th round as the 451st pick.
Lara of Nova High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was chosen in the 17th round by the Minnesota Twins as the 525th pick, and the San Diego Padres chose Ogata of Westview High School in Portland, Ore., in the 50th round as the 1,492nd selection.