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In Major League Baseball's 2004 First Year Player Draft conducted in June, eight Long Beach State Dirtbags were selected: Jered Weaver (junior RHP, 1st round), Jason Vargas (junior LHP, 2nd round), John Bowker (redshirt sophmore OF, 3rd round), Brad Davis (junior catcher, 5th round), Neil Jamison (junior RHP, 8th round), Mike Hofius (senior 1B, 22nd round) and Josh Buhagiar (senior OF, 32nd round). All except Weaver and Jamison have signed contracts with the clubs that drafted them.

The Anaheim Angels continue to negotiate with Jered, but from this article in the Pasadena Star-News its doesn't appear that a deal is near:

"Weaver impasse looming

By Gabe Lacques , Staff Writer

The first day of the fall semester at Long Beach State came and went Monday, and a school official confirmed that unsigned Angels first-round pick Jered Weaver will not enroll this year. That ensures that the Angels will retain rights to the 12th overall selection.

That hardly was a surprise, and Angels scouting director Eddie Bane noted that the club "didn't have any scouts posted in front of Biology 101.' But with another checkpoint in the negotiating process passed, the specter of an extended impasse between Weaver and the Angels looms larger, much to their consternation.

The Angels are not willing to offer an eight-figure contract to Weaver, which would be what his adviser, Scott Boras, indicated might be necessary to sign his client when he compared him to former USC star Mark Prior, who received a $10 million package from the Chicago Cubs in 2001..."

Neil Jamison Will Return to the Dirtbags

As has been speculated, Neil Jamison has decided to forego signing with the New York Mets and return for his senior year at Long Beach State. This is from a publication in Neil's hometown, the Ramona Home Journal (read the rest of the article here):

"Ramona's Neil Jamison was selected by the New York Mets in the eighth round of the June baseball draft, but the right-handed pitcher is leaning toward a return to Cal State University Long Beach for his senior year.

"I didn't go as high as I thought I was going to, from what I heard from scouts," Jamison said. "I think I can get more out of going back for one more year."...

"They offered fair money for the round that I was drafted in," he said. "It seems like a lot of money, but in the big picture, it's really not."

Returning to school also would increase his chances of obtaining his college degree. Jamison is three semesters shy of a degree; if he goes through his senior year, he will have only one semester to complete after he turns professional, while three semesters would be more difficult with a professional baseball player's schedule...

Another advantage of returning for his senior year is the chance to play in the College World Series. "The reason I went there was to go to the College World Series," Jamison said...

"Hopefully, we can make another run at the World Series,' Jamison said.

In his three years at Long Beach State, Jamison has a won-loss record of 9-8 and an ERA of 3.49. His 15 saves rank him third on the 49ers' all-time career list, while his 77 appearances tie him for third on the all-time team list."