Mr. Goodwin goes to Washington

Former Rocky Mount baseball player and wrestler Nick Phillips and his dad made a trip to Washington to see the Nationals play on Opening Day.

That may become a tradition now that one of his teammates on Rocky Mount's 2008 state championship baseball team may be patrolling the outfield in D.C. in the very near future.

2009 Gryphon grad Brian Goodwin was selected as the first pick of the Compensation Round and the 34th overall pick in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft held Monday evening in New York.

Of all the mock drafts on line, Washington was predicted to be Goodwin's destination by the majortiiy of them. In time he will be joining the last two No. 1 overall draft picks in Scott Strasburg in 2009 and Bryce Harper last year.

The event was carried live on MLB.com. He was the second native North Carolinian selected as his former UNC teammate Levi Michael was taken as the No. 30 pick of the first round to Minnesota.

But we have to wait to see if he signs with the Nationals. He couldn't be closer to home than the four-hour trip up I-95.

If he doesn't , then he'll be off to the University of South Carolina to play one season, then go back into the Draft.