A couple quick hits this morning – eight days from the opening of the Northwest League season.  The Cubs have completed all 50 rounds of the First-Year Players’ Draft, stocking up on 15 pitchers during the final 20 rounds of the event – including a trio of hurlers with Northwest ties (players from Sherwood High in Oregon, from Bellevue CC in Washington, and from the University of British Columbia).  The Cubs selected multiple college seniors – which my guess would think that a lot of those players will probably end up at Memorial Stadium at some point this season.

View the Final Draft Roster and view all 50 rounds of 2011 Draft Bios. 

Also, some shuffling of the deck as we get closer to the release of the initial Hawks roster.  Two players who might have been returning to Boise have been promoted up the ladder – as Matt Loosen, who had a tremendous Extended campaign, has been sent to Daytona, while Brandon May has been sent to Peoria.  The first piece of the Hawks’ puzzle might be D.J. Fitzgerald, who was an outfielder for the club in 2009, recently sent back to Mesa after struggling with the bat over the first two months of the season in Peoria.