Royals’ 2015 draft pick could be playing in a Super Regional this week, just like last year

After a weekend of rain delays, baseball’s NCAA Tournament has reached the Super Regional round, and if everything goes as scheduled, the College World Series field could take final shape during the Major League Draft next Monday.

That day, four of the eight regionals are scheduled for a third, if necessary, game.

But whatever happens on the college diamonds this weekend, many players who are participating will learn of their professional baseball futures. Perhaps even the Royals’ first-round selection.

According to a first-round projection by Draft Site, 12 of the 42 projected first-rounders, including compensation and competitive balance picks, are playing in the Super Regionals.

That includes overall top projected pick Dansby Swanson, a shortstop from Vanderbilt. The Arizona Diamondbacks own the first pick.

It’s a shortstop-rich draft, with three of the top four going in the mock selections, and Draft Site has the Royals selecting that position at No. 21, taking Arizona junior shortstop Kevin Newman.

The Royals seem set at the position with Alcides Escobar under club control through 2017 and Raul Mondesi rated one of the organization’s top prospects.

The No. 21 draft position is the latest the Royals are scheduled to make their first pick since 1986, when they drafted No. 24 in the year after winning the World Series.

They hit pay dirt with their first selection last year. Left-handed pitcher Brandon Finnegan from TCU became the first player to play in the College World Series and World Series in the same year.

Another possibility in this year’s draft is Southern Nevada right-handed pitcher Phil Bickford. The Royals were among several teams that showed interest in Bickford two years ago as a high school player in California. Bickford was selected in the first round, 10th overall, by the Toronto Blue Jays, but did not sign.

He attended Cal State Fullerton for one season before transferring to Southern Nevada, a community college, for 2015.

The Royals will draft twice on the first day, selecting at No. 33 as a compensation pick for losing pitcher James Shields as a free agent after last season. Draft Site has the Royals taking Duke pitcher Michael Matuella, a 6-7 right-hander, with the selection.

This story was originally published June 2, 2015 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Royals’ 2015 draft pick could be playing in a Super Regional this week, just like last year."