Should he stay or should he go? - #lakewoodnews

Griffin Jax knew about the demands of attending the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

Now the Minnesota Twins will be demanding a decision from Jax, a right-handed pitcher for the Falcons, after he was drafted as the 93rd overall pick in the third round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft on June 10.

Jax was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 12th round of the 2013 draft as a senior at Cherry Creek High School, but drew more addition attention from big league scouts after a banner 2016 collegiate season.

However, from a statement released by the Air Force Academy, it appears Jax has already made a decision.

"I am grateful to the Minnesota Twins organization for believing in me and allowing me to fulfill my dreams of serving my country and having the opportunity to play baseball at the highest level," Jax said. "I look forward to completing my education at the Air Force Academy this next year and exploring my options after graduation."

If he does turn down the Twins' offer --; which likely would include a signing bonus of more than $600,000 --; he can play for Air Force next season and hope he is again drafted. The signing deadline is July 15. After his two-year military commitment he will be able to play professional baseball but he will be 24 years old.

Jax was the co-Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Year in the 2016 season with a 9-2 record and was the league leader with a 2.05 earned run average and was second with 90 strikeouts. He pitched 105.2 innings with six complete games and two shutouts.

He was twice the MWC Pitcher of the Week and compiled streaks of 24.1 and 23 innings without an earned run during the season.

Dalbec helps Arizona advance

Bobby Dalbec, the former Legend High school baseball and basketball player, was picked by the Boston Red Sox as a third baseman in the fourth round of the draft.

But is the Arizona junior a third baseman or pitcher?

Dalbec helped the Wildcats earn a College World Series berth starting June 18 in Omaha with two noteworthy performances in upsetting Mississippi State in the Super Regional in Starkville, Mississippi.

He started the opening game, worked out of trouble early when the Bulldogs left seven runners on base but pitched 8 2/3 innings of shutout baseball in a 1-0 win.

In the next game, he belted a solo home run and went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in while playing third base in the Wildcats' 6-5, 11-inning victory which sent Arizona packing to Omaha.

Dalbec hit .319 with a team-leading 53 RBIs as a sophomore while going 3-7 on the mound with five saves. His hitting tailed off this season but he has proved to be valuable as a pitcher.

He is hitting .271 with seven home runs and 39 RBI for the 2016 season but is 10-4 on the mound with seven saves and a 2.93 ERA.

More local players drafted

Besides Jax and Dalbec, six other players with ties to local schools were selected in the MLB draft.

Right-handed pitcher Max Kuhns, who graduated from Chaparral and plays for Santa Clara University in California, was tabbed in the 21st round by the New York Mets. During the 2016 season, Kuhns was 1-4 with 14 saves and a 2.21 earned run average.

Nick Shumpert, who played at Highlands Ranch and San Jacinto, a junior college in Texas, was picked in the 28th round by the Atlanta Braves. Ex-ThunderRidge player Brody Westmoreland, now at the College of Southern Nevada, went to the Houston Astros in the 30th round.

Tyler Honahan, a 2012 Legend graduate who played at Stony Brook University in New York, was tabbed in the 36th round by the New York Yankees.

Two 2016 graduates were chosen.

Nate Sweeney of Cherry Creek, who has signed to play at Arizona, was picked by the Chicago Cubs in the 33rd round and Green Mountain's Wyatt Featherston, who is committed to play at Western Kentucky, was the 34th-round pick of the Colorado Rockies.

Former Littletonbasketball star dies

Former Littleton High School basketball star and ex-Texas-San Antonio men's basketball coach Brooks Thompson passed away last week at age 45.

Thompson led Littleton to a 24-0 record and the 1989 Class 4A state championship. He played college basketball at Texas A&M and Oklahoma State and was a two-time All-Big Eight player for the Cowboys.

He was drafted by Orlando as the 27th pick of the 1994 NBA draft. He played for Orlando, Utah, Denver, Phoenix and New York during his four-season NBA career.

Thompson's best season was with the Nuggets in 1996-97 with the Nuggets when he averaged 6.8 points and 2.8 assists while playing in 65 games.

No cause of death was reported but Thompson had been suffering with double organ failure in recent months.

Valor golfers finish eighth, ninth

Tim Amundson and David Leede, who played last season for Valor Christian, were the top local finishers at the American Junior Golf Association's Hale Irwin Colorado Open, which was held June 6-9 at Highlands Ranch Golf Club.

Amundson, who will attend Colorado Mines in the fall, finished eighth on the par-72 course with a 4-under-par 212 total after rounds of 69, 72, 71. Leede was ninth at 214 following rounds of 74, 70 and 70.

Jim Benton is a sports writer for Colorado Community Media. He has been covering sports in the Denver area since 1968. He can be reached at jbenton@coloradocommunitymedia.com or at 303-566-4083.

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