With the Orioles about to make their highest draft pick in 10 years, Orioles scouting director Tony DeMacio sounds less than enthusiastic about this year's talent crop.

This isn't DeMacio's nature. His colleagues say he is one of the most enthusiastic and dedicated people in his profession, and probably one of the best.

But baseball's amateur draft starts Tuesday, which means DeMacio hasn't been sleeping much of late. He already has seen more than 120 of the draft-eligible players, and the process of ranking a 600-player board has him on edge.

"The talent level seems to be sliding yearly," DeMacio said this past week, in between long meetings with national cross-checker Shawn Pender and five of the Orioles' top scouts. "What we see are mostly high school guys. We don't feel like there are any impact college players. There are some good ones, but no Mark Priors, no Mark Teixeiras."

The Chicago Cubs made Prior the No. 2 pick last season out of Southern California, and he reached the big leagues last month with a flourish. The Texas Rangers took Teixeira, a Mount St. Joseph graduate, with the fifth pick. They signed Teixeira to a five-year, $9.5 million contract, and he was expected to play his first minor-league game last night after injuring his right elbow this spring.

The Orioles have the fourth pick this year, and though it figures to pass with less fanfare, it is still their highest draft position since they selected Jeffrey Hammonds with the fourth overall selection in the 1992 draft.

With Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Cincinnati picking ahead of the Orioles, DeMacio said he isn't completely sure who will be available at No. 4. The Pirates are said to be leaning toward Ball State pitcher Brian Bullington.

If B.J. Upton, a high school shortstop from Chesapeake, Va., somehow slips to No. 4, the Orioles almost surely will grab him. Baseball America projects Upton going to Tampa Bay, with Cincinnati taking Scott Kazmir, a high school left-handed pitcher from Houston.

That would leave Jeremy Hermida, a high school outfielder from Marietta, Ga., for the Orioles, along with a slew of pitchers including Virginia Tech's Joe Saunders, and Canadian high schooler Adam Loewen -- both left-handers.

DeMacio, who cut his teeth in the Atlanta Braves' organization and is the scout who signed Tom Glavine, has an affinity for pitchers, especially left-handers.

"At the beginning of the year, I wanted to bear down on position guys, not knowing what you're going to get into before the draft," DeMacio said. "If that guy's not there, the position player we feel can be a good player here, then we'll take a pitcher again. That's all we can do."

Syd Thrift, the Orioles' vice president for baseball operations, has been to see several of the draft-eligible players himself this year.

This will be a big decision for the team, considering the fourth overall pick in last year's draft, Mount St. Joseph right-hander Gavin Floyd, signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for $4.2 million.

"It's a big investment, period," Thrift said, explaining his exuberance to see so many high school and college players. "It's a big responsibility, and we need all the evaluation, all the judgment we can muster."

This will be DeMacio's fourth draft with the Orioles, and the first three have netted several prospects. In 1999, the Orioles had seven of the first 50 picks and landed Larry Bigbie, an outfielder currently hitting .365 at Triple-A Rochester.

DeMacio likens this year's draft to 2000, when the Orioles selected Beau Hale, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Texas, with the 14th overall pick.

"Two years ago wasn't a great year," he said. "We felt lucky to get Beau Hale. There was a lot of high school pitching, but there were some better guys at the top. This year, who knows?"

Hale entered the weekend with a 4-4 record and 3.84 ERA at Single-A Frederick. The Orioles are cautiously optimistic with his progress, though they still think he was overworked at Texas and hasn't regained his pre-draft prowess.

Last year, the Orioles had the seventh overall pick and took Chris Smith, a left-handed pitcher from Cumberland University, an NAIA school in Lebanon, Tenn. Smith has had left shoulder problems, but he recently threw five innings in an extended spring training game and will likely start his season at Rookie-level Blufield or short-season Single-A Aberdeen.

Here's a look at some of the Orioles' other key selections under DeMacio, with numbers entering yesterday:

Brian Roberts, the 50th overall selection in 1999, has replaced Jerry Hairston as the Orioles' starting second baseman but was batting just .179.

Mike Paradis, 13th overall in 1999, was 3-4 with a 5.63 ERA at Double-A Bowie.

Richard Stahl, 18th overall in 1999, has undergone left shoulder surgery but made his first start of the season last night for Single-A Delmarva.

Keith Reed, 23rd overall in 1999, was batting .254 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs at Bowie. In an organization with limited power prospects, Reed is an outfielder to watch.

Erik Bedard, a sixth-rounder in 1999, has emerged as the Orioles' top pitching prospect. He already pitched for the Orioles this season and was 3-2 with a 2.48 ERA at Bowie.

Mike Fontenot, 19th overall in 2001, was hitting .270 for Single-A Frederick, and the Orioles are pleased with the second baseman's jump from Louisiana State into the highly skilled Carolina League.

Bryan Bass, 31st overall in 2001, was hitting .238 with 13 RBIs in a recent span of 15 games at Single-A Delmarva. This is his first year as a full-time player, and the Orioles say he's been a quality addition.

"He's very good," Thrift said of DeMacio. "He was a territory scout, and he worked his way up through the ranks. He went through every level. That's why he's qualified to do his job."