To say that this week has been a good one for Harford County baseball players would be a grave understatement, as over a two-day period three local athletes were selected by major league teams in the MLB 2011 Amateur Draft, with two of them going to the Baltimore Orioles.

Teammates on the John Carroll squad, Kevin Hockaday and Brendan Butler were both picked up by Baltimore, in the 14th and 50th rounds, respectively, while Fallston alum and Rider University standout Mike Thomas was taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 35th round.

Joe Stetka, who has headed the John Carroll squad for the last two years, summed up having two of his players taken in the same draft.

"I've been around baseball, and have been coaching, for a long time now, and I've never had a player get picked up in the draft," Stetka said. "This is one of the best days I've ever had, as a coach, as just a supporter of baseball. This is really a special day for Harford County, for the MIAA, for the Orioles, for baseball in this state, everyone. It's tremendous; I can't get over it."

Hockaday, a three-time All-Harford first-team selection who broke MLB superstar Mark Teixeira's MIAA career home run record earlier this season, learned he had been selected by the Orioles in the 14th round, as the 425th overall pick, while he was on his way to play a baseball game.

"I was in the car, going to play with Youse's Orioles," Hockaday said. "I got a phone call, and was told I'd been taken in the 14th round. It was breathtaking, really. I've been playing ball since I was three years old, and this is what you work for the whole time, what you're waiting for. To have a chance to play with the O's one day, in Camden [Yards]. It's just amazing, and I'm really happy right now."

The right-handed hitting third baseman and shortstop did not know how early he would go in the draft, but was not surprised by the team that picked him.

"I had a pretty good idea it would be Baltimore," Hockaday said. "I wasn't positive, but the Orioles have definitely have had the most looks at me."

Stetka was also on the road when he was relayed the news of Hockaday being drafted.

"I was driving, and I glanced at my phone for a second, and Kevin's dad had texted me, 'The Orioles just called,'" Stetka said. "I had to pull the car over to catch my breath. I was a little choked up. K.J. is such a great kid, and there aren't many out there like him. It would be so great to pencil him into the scorebook at Ripken Stadium."

Like his John Carroll teammate, Butler, a power-hitting first-baseman who earned All-Harford first-team honors this year and last, was traveling to play with Youse's Orioles on Wednesday night when he received notice that he'd been taken by Baltimore in the final round of the draft.

"I was on my way to a game," Butler said. "My mom's friend, her son had been watching the final rounds on mlb.com. He saw my name come up, and his mom called to tell me. I was really surprised. It's really a great honor, just to get picked, especially by Baltimore. It's funny, I've been playing with K.J., and against him, since I was six or seven years old, and we both wind up getting picked by the Orioles."

Whereas Hockaday was aware he would be taken in the draft, Butler expected he would be passed over, and have to earn his spot later on in his amateur career.

"To tell you the truth, I thought I was going to have to play in college before I got picked up," Butler said. "I thought I'd have to play for another three years, until I was eligible again, but this is fine with me."

Thomas, a 2007 graduate of Fallston High School who just wrapped up a stellar pitching career with the Rider University team, went in the draft's 35th round on Tuesday night, when he was selected 1064th overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers. In four seasons with the Rider Broncos, Thomas set his team's single-season strikeout record of 98, and finished with a career record of 20-9. As a high school athlete, Thomas earned All-Harford first-team honors in both baseball and volleyball. Aware that major league teams were interested in him, Thomas was confident he would be drafted, by was not sure when or by whom that would happen.

"I was hanging out with an old Fallston teammate, my high school catcher, at his house on Tuesday night," Thomas said. "I had thrown a bullpen session with him earlier that day, and we'd gone to his place to check out the draft, because the Internet at my parents' place is messed up. We had the speakers on the computer turned on, and had the mlb.com website up, but we weren't paying much attention to it. Then, we hear my name, and that I'd been taken by the Dodgers in the 35th round. We both kind of did a double-take. I'd had a couple teams call me earlier in the week, and told me to keep my phone on, because they were interested, but I really didn't have any idea who was going to take me. I was caught by surprise."

Looking ahead, Thomas excepts to be in the hot, dry part of this country, playing with one of the Dodgers' minor-league affiliates in the Arizona League, at some point in the near future.

"My scout is supposed to come by some time this week, to go over everything with me," Thomas said. "After we get the contract stuff worked out, I'm pretty sure they're going to send me to Arizona, for a post-draft mini-camp, and hopefully that's where I'll wind up playing. I have to wait and see though."

Having been given entry to the professional game, Hockaday and Butler both plan to keep busy by playing throughout the summer, though after that their paths may diverge. Hockaday committed to playing with the University of Maryland, but might opt to forgo college for now so he can play professionally, while Butler is planning on attending Towson University in the fall.

"As of right now, I'm going to keep playing with Youse's team this summer, and the Orioles are going to keep an eye on me," Hockaday said. "At the end of the summer, Baltimore will probably come at me with a contract, and I'll make my decision based on that."

"They'll be watching me play with the Youse's team for the next couple months," Butler said. "Most likely, I'll be going to Towson, and playing ball there."

Whether they make it to the big leagues or not, Stetka said it's reward enough to have seen two of his pupils earn spots in the draft.

"They don't pay you much to coach high school teams," Stetka said. "So, this is the payoff, seeing the players you taught succeed, and move on to the next level. I've been to state championship games, won coach of the year, and this is the nicest thing that's happened to me as a coach."