Gamecocks pitcher Dyson finally picked in 10th round

COLUMBIA — South Carolina ace Sam Dyson's draft stock slipped. Quite a bit, actually. There's no doubt about that.

But the question is: Did the hard-throwing right-hander fall far enough that he'd consider returning to school for his junior season?

Dyson was expected to go as high as the late first round, but instead he wasn't selected until the 10th round. The Oakland Athletics, no strangers to the Gamecocks in baseball's amateur draft, took Dyson with the 303rd overall pick.

It was an up-and-down 2009 for Dyson, who was 9-4 but with a 5.21

ERA. He did limit opponents to hitting .237 against him, using a mid-90s fastball as his best pitch.

With a big junior season, Dyson could easily vault into the first round or two, as was expected this year.

Dyson was a hot high school prospect coming out of Tampa, Fla., falling to the 19th round only because he planned to come to USC.

Through a school spokesman, coach Ray Tanner declined to comment Wednesday. He'll talk with the media at 4:45 p.m. today.

Left fielder DeAngelo Mack also fell a bit, compared to where most thought he'd go. After leading the Southeastern Conference in hits, Mack hung around until the 13th round, when the New York Yankees swept him up.

Catcher Justin Dalles went about where he was expected to go, in the sixth round to the Baltimore Orioles. He is not expected to return.

But the Gamecocks, at least potentially, could get an upgrade over the very serviceable Dalles.

Wil Myers was a first-rounder, according to pretty much every scouting service. But the High Point, N.C., catching prospect, a USC signee, fell to the third round Tuesday night.

Myers has told USC coaches that he'll negotiate with his new team, the Kansas City Royals. But Myers wants close to $1 million as a signing bonus, and the low-budget Royals might not be willing to budge for a third-rounder.

So there's a chance Myers could improbably be in Columbia.

Another USC recruit won't be. Gilbert shortstop Chris Owings went in the first supplemental round to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In all likelihood, he'll receive a big bonus and begin his professional career.