CLEMSON — The first of this year’s Clemson baseball players to be drafted has turned pro as expected, and the second is close to following suit.
Junior first baseman Ben Paulsen, a third-round pick, said he agreed to terms this week with the Colorado Rockies.
Freshman pitcher Chris Dwyer, meanwhile, is close to signing as a fourth-round pick of the Kansas City Royals, multiple sources said.
Paulsen’s departure comes as little surprise; most juniors selected in the opening eight rounds tend to sign because of the higher signing bonuses they receive through their leverage of having the option to return to school for their senior season.
But the Tigers had crossed their fingers in hopes of retaining Dwyer, a 21-year-old lefty who was the first freshman ever to be drafted and thus possesses two more years of bargaining power.
Former Clemson guard K.C. Rivers is slated to play for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Summer League, which begins Friday in Las Vegas.
Rivers is one of 18 players on the crowded Mavericks summer league roster, which includes former Florida standout Nick Calathes, who signed to play in Greece.
The team is holding a three-day camp this week and will trim its roster before summer league play.
Rivers is the only former Clemson player participating in the league, which runs through July 19.
Former USC forwards Carlos Powell (Phoenix) and Brandon Wallace (Washington) will also be involved.
MILAN — United States defender Oguchi Onyewu, a former Clemson player, has joined legendary Italian club AC Milan, becoming one of the few Americans to play in Italy’s top league.
Milan said Tuesday that it acquired Onyewu from Standard Liege in Belgium on a three-year deal.
Onyewu, long a star in the Belgian league, gained notice with superb performances in the U.S. run to the Confederations Cup final. Playing in central defense, he helped the Americans end the 15-game winning streak of European champion Spain with a 2-0 win.
That upset put the U.S. in the final against Brazil, where they led 2-0 before falling 3-2.
“It’s very exciting. It’s one of the great clubs in the world,” U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. “I think it’s a terrific opportunity for him, and certainly the experience that he’ll get there I think will be really important as we move forward with our national team.”