Page One

St. Mary’s High senior Chase Moore was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates during the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft on Wednesday. The Pirates selected Moore with the 1153rd overall pick, the first selection of the 39th round. 

Moore, a three-sport star, was the Panthers’ centerfielder and cleanup hitter this season, leading the team to the Bay Shore Athletic League championship game. In addition to being named to the All-BSAL team for baseball, Moore was also an all-league receiver in football and honorable mention for basketball. 

Coming into his senior year, baseball was considered Moore’s weakest sport, as he was a starter for the state-champion 2001 basketball team and a physical force on the football field. But the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Moore put in hours of work to improve his fielding and plate discipline, and it paid off with a stellar final baseball season that attracted more than a dozen scouts to St. Mary’s games. 

“I would say that going back to last year, Chase really started to work on his game and take baseball more seriously,” St. Mary’s baseball coach Andy Shimabukuro said. “It’s difficult playing three sports, but he even took time off during basketball season to do baseball stuff on the weekends.” 

Shimabukuro said Moore is the best overall athlete he has ever coached. 

“In terms of the all-around package, combining size, speed and strength, Chase has the most tools of anyone that I’ve had,” he said. 

St. Mary’s athletic director and football coach Jay Lawson said Moore set his focus for the future on baseball despite a promising season on the football field after a year out of the sport. 

“From talking to hime lately, he’s definitely putting all his energy into pursuing something with baseball,” Lawson said. 

Moore actually had an offer for a football scholarship from San Jose State, which signed teammate Trestin George. But Moore said his top choice right now is to play baseball in college, and he is hopeful that getting drafted will attract more attention from Division I schools. He has a tentative offer from Fresno State, but a coaching change at the school has delayed a decision from both school and player. 

“People have told me that a lot more offers will be coming in now,” Moore said. “I’m still looking at Fresno State. I definitely want to go to a four-year school and get my education.”