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Pitcher's path to draft reading like a tall tale

At 6 feet 10, Shaun O'Connor is one of the tallest players in this year's draft. The 23-year-old pitcher who spent the past year at a baseball academy in Zephyrhills is turning into one of its most intriguing prospects as well.

O'Connor, drafted in the 22nd round by the Florida Marlins on Tuesday, was listed as being at Pasco-Hernando Community College, which was news to PHCC coach Steve Winterling. He hadn't heard of the pitcher, and college records show he has not taken classes there in the past year.

This much is known: He has spent the past 10 months in Zephyrhills at a pitching academy run by former Dodgers pitcher Mike Marshall. Marshall, who each year brings in 12 pitchers who live on premises and train with him daily for 40 weeks, said Wednesday he had O'Connor take a community college class to keep his draft eligibility active. He later said it might have been at Hillsborough Community College, whose records department had closed for the day.

O'Connor's path to professional baseball started at Brooke Point High School in Stafford, Va. From there, he spent "a few years" at the Citadel, according to his mother, Mary, who said he was on the baseball team but did not play. He spent two seasons at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, but played sparingly, according to coach Skip Johnson.

"He was a project guy we had, a real good kid, 6-foot-forever," Johnson said. O'Connor reported to Marlins camp in Jupiter having signed and received an $18,000 signing bonus.

"I watched him fail at this for four years, and he really struggled but would never give up," Mary O'Connor said. "Even as his mom, I had no idea he was made of this kind of stuff."

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