CSN’s Bickford projected to go in first round

But give Bickford a baseball and point him toward a mound, and he is anything but laid-back.

It’s on the mound where he at least has some control over what’s going to happen. Bickford has none now, and he carries more of a nervous energy knowing his future at this point is completely in the hands of others.

He shouldn’t wait long to find out when the three-day draft begins at 4 p.m. today. The College of Southern Nevada right-hander was forecast by Baseball America and USA Today to go 21st to the Kansas City Royals and by MLB.com to go 22nd to the Detroit Tigers.

Projections, however, aren’t exactly science.

“That’s the thing about the draft, you just never know until that day comes,” CSN coach Nick Garritano said.

Going through the draft process isn’t new for Bickford (6 feet 4 inches, 205 pounds).

He was the 10th overall pick two years ago by the Toronto Blue Jays, but didn’t come to terms with the club, the only first-round draft choice that year to not sign.

“There were no regrets at all,” Bickford said. “It’s a part of life. It gave me two great years and a great summer.

“I don’t know if I have a right to say this, but I got a lot more mature on the field.”

After he decided to not sign with the Blue Jays, Bickford went to national power Cal State Fullerton for a year. He then blew away scouts last summer in the Cape Cod League, allowing two runs and striking out 44 batters over 27 2/3 innings. Bickford received the Robert A. McNeese Award as the league’s top prospect.

Rather than return to Fullerton where Bickford would have been obligated to play two more seasons, he decided to go to a junior college, where he could turn pro after one year. He didn’t want to attend a JC in California because that state isn’t part of the national system, and Bickford had played in a Bishop Gorman High School tournament on CSN’s field.

“I was comfortable with the area,” he said.

He didn’t disappointed at CSN, going 9-1 with a 1.45 ERA, with 166 strikeouts and 21 walks in 86 2/3 innings.

Bickford used a fastball that routinely touched the mid-90s, and mixed in a slider as well. But it was the heater he relied on the most, one that Bickford knew most junior college hitters couldn’t touch.

“His command on the fastball for a 19-year-old is unbelievable,” Garritano said. “He can put a 96-mph fastball anywhere he wants — up in the zone, down in the zone, in, away. Anywhere he wants it. Just being able to locate that velocity at any given time is something I think separates Phil from a lot of people.

“Another thing I saw is he is one of the fiercest competitors I’ve ever seen. On game day, he is in such a zone, it’s not even funny. Our entire staff tried to do what Phil did.”

Now Bickford will move on, and don’t expect a repeat of two years ago when he had a backup plan in case he didn’t sign with Toronto.

“My mindset is to go and get my big league career started,” Bickford said. “I’m confident that’s going to happen.”

He’s the kind of talent that doesn’t walk through CSN’s doors every year, and Garritano knows that and understands how fortunate he was to coach Bickford, even if it was for just one season.

Because of CSN’s recruiting restrictions, Garritano relies almost solely on local talent, which in Las Vegas isn’t a bad thing.

For players such as Bickford, he can lobby for an exception. To get Bickford, it was an easy argument to make, and one that was justified after his arrival.

“Phil had a lot on the line every outing out here,” Garritano said. “It wasn’t one of the things where he could come out and have a bad start and it is what it is, and let’s get to next week. For a kid that’s 19 years old to deal with all that pressure the way that he did and stay as calm and cool as he was and to be such a great teammate is unbelievable.

“Phil Bickford is inspiring.”

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.