STATE COLLEGE, Pa., June 6, 2001--- Three Penn State baseball players, catcher Chris Netwall, outfielder Rod Perry and pitcher Dan McCall, have been selected in the 2001 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Perry (San Diego, Calif.) was selected as the Philadelphia Phillies' 12th round selection as the 350th overall pick after competing in his first season on coach Joe Hindelang's squad as a left fielder. As a junior with the Nittany Lions, Perry hit .328 with 12 doubles and 39 RBI as the leadoff batter. He led the team in hits (63) and stolen bases (24), second all-time in a single season behind Michael Campo's 27 swipes in 1999.

Perry also notched a .448 slugging percentage with three home runs while notching a team-high 12-game hitting streak on the season. Perry boasted 20 multi-hit games and three games with three hits.

He is a two-sport athlete at Penn State who led Joe Paterno's football team in punt return yardage in 2000 with 14 returns for 65 yards. Perry also returned a kickoff for 28 yards and made two receptions for five yards as a wide receiver. He began competing on the Penn State football team during the 1999 season and made two receptions for 13 yards and returned two punts for 16 yards.

Before coming to Penn State, Perry began his collegiate career as a football player in 1997 with Southern California, which he competed against during the 2000 Kickoff Classic. He joined the Trojans baseball team for the 1998 season and was on the field when the Trojans won the College World Series championship that year. Perry also competed on the 1999 Cal State-Fullerton team.

Perry graduated last month with a degree in telecommunications and was selected to the Verizon Academic All-District team for football. He has one year of eligibility remaining with the Penn State baseball and football teams.

Netwall (Allentown, Pa.) was selected in the 13th round and 404th overall selection by the St. Louis Cardinals. As a senior tri-captain, Netwall hit six home runs, drove in 29 runs and hit .302 as Penn State's Most Valuable Player. He earned first-team All-Big Ten status in 2001 and was among the top defensive catchers in the conference after throwing out 29-of-59 (49 percent) attempted base stealers during the 2001 season.

Netwall was a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award, which recognizes the nation's top collegiate catcher. After finishing his remarkable college career this season, Netwall ranks among the school's all-time leaders in home runs in home runs with 34 (second), hits (212, third) and RBI (136, third).

The catcher was also selected in last year's draft as the Colorado Rockies' seventh selection of the 32nd round (947th overall) after leading the Nittany Lions to their first-ever Super Regional appearance while batting .347, hitting nine home runs, driving in 41 RBI and scoring 44 runs. He was named to the All-Big Ten second team as a junior. Netwall graduated in May with a Penn State degree in mechanical engineering. He notched a 3.27 grade-point average and was named Tuesday to the 2001 Verizon All-American University Division Baseball Team as a third-team selection. Netwall joined Mike DeRenzo (Murrysville, Pa.), a first-team honoree.

Joining Perry with the Philadelphia organization is McCall (Boalsburg, Pa.), a southpaw tabbed as the fourth pick in the 33rd round and the 980th overall pick. On the mound, McCall had a successful senior season and was second on the team with a 4.08 ERA and finished with a team high 6-2 mark in 12 starts and 17 appearances. He also made two saves on the season. In 86 innings pitched, McCall allowed 82 hits, 39 earned runs and 48 walks. He fanned a team-high 74 opposing batters and allowed a stingy .248 batting average, the lowest on the squad.

McCall finished his prestigious Penn State career with a 19-10 record in 53 appearances (43 starts) and 250.2 innings pitched and earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades the last two seasons. McCall graduated from State College Area High School.

Netwall was among four players from the 2000 baseball team selected in the draft along with third baseman Shawn Fagan (Toronto Blue Jays, 13th round, 388th overall), pitcher Scott Russo (26th round, 765th overall) and second baseman Eric Spadt (Cincinnati Reds, 45th round, 1,341 overall).

Matt Harter (Centre Hall, Pa.), a Penn State signee at the time, was selected as the 1,164th overall selection as the Baltimore Orioles' 14th pick of the 39th round. Harter competed this season as a first baseman and catcher as a freshman.

Outfielder Michael Campo also signed with the Anaheim Angels following the 2000 season.

Penn State finished the 2001 season with a 29-29 mark following a 10-2 defeat against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament.