Kane Hopes to Take Pitch to Next Level

Almost every time Kyle Kane threw a pitch for Saddleback College this season, he had to block out the commotion created by a slew of professional scouts.

Each time Kane went to the bullpen, scouts followed. As many as 46 were spotted at a game he pitched in and at least 20 had speed guns.

The right-hander has had pitches clocked up to 97 mph and consistently around 92.

He also has dealt with more than 25 home visits from scouts and agents, all interested in helping Kane step into professional baseball.

Today, Kane will be doing his best to block something different--the swirl of attention that most likely will engulf him in the first day of baseball’s amateur draft.

Baseball America projects him to be selected somewhere between Nos. 10 and 20 in the first round. Two scouts, who asked not to be identified, said Kane isn’t likely to last past the second round.

Kane, a 1995 graduate of Temecula Linfield High, is taking a realistic approach to the situation.

First thing he did was get out of town to clear his mind and help him stop thinking about the draft so much. He went to Northern California to visit his girlfriend for the weekend and isn’t scheduled to return until this afternoon.

“I won’t be disappointed no matter what happens,” he said by telephone. “They said first round, but I’m not expecting anything. Heck, how can you be disappointed if you get drafted.”

The idea of getting drafted wasn’t even on Kane’s mind when he transferred to Saddleback in January after starting his college career at Nevada.

Kane went to Reno on a scholarship after helping Linfield to three consecutive Southern Section titles, and he started much of the 1996 season in the outfield.

But he wasn’t happy with the weather and said the school wasn’t right for him either.

He spent last fall at Nevada Las Vegas but when the coaching staff asked him to redshirt, he decided to leave.

Kane said he didn’t want to sit out a year and inquired about community colleges, where he would be eligible right away.

He met and liked Saddleback Coach Jack Hodges, and enrolled at the college in January. He started working out with the team about three weeks before the start of the season.

Kane figured to play the outfield, or be the designated hitter. He had been a closer in high school but hadn’t concentrated on pitching since.

But his fate changed when he was warming up in the last inning of a scrimmage in mid-January. A speed gun clocked a pitch at about 92 mph and word got back to Saddleback coaches, as well as the scouts.

Kane spent the first part of the season working with pitchers and hitters but found it a distraction to split time. After the first month, he had become a full-time reliever.

He appeared in 14 games and was 2-1 with two saves. Kane had an earned-run average of 0.64, giving up two runs--both home runs--in 28 innings. He struck out 29, walked 11 and gave up 13 hits.

“I’m really looking forward to moving on,” Kane said. “I can’t wait to bust a wood bat.”