June 12, 2002
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State senior infielder Sergio Garcia signed a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and will report the team's minor league facility in Vero Beach, Fla., to find out where he will begin his professional career.
Garcia, a senior who transferred from Oklahoma following the 2001 season, finished sixth on the team in hitting with a .336 batting average and played exceptionally well down the stretch, helping lead ASU to the NCAA Tournament. Of his 32 starts, 25 came at second base and seven at shortstop.
Highlights of his senior season included hitting his only home run of the year in a 3-1 loss at Stanford (5/12) to extend ASU's NCAA record consecutive games scoring streak to 421 games (currently at 433). His best performance of the year came against 19th-ranked USC (5/19) when he went 5-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI. Garcia also recorded nine multi-hit games in 2002.
An honorable mention selection in both the Big 12 (2001) and Pac-10 (2002) during his baseball career, the Paramount, Calif., native started his collegiate career at Cerritos Junior College. Garcia will join former Sun Devil infielder Mike Collins (1996-98) and catcher Paul Lo Duca (1993) who are both in the Los Angeles Dodger organization. Collins is currently hitting .329 with the Double-A Jacksonville Suns, while Lo Duca is in his second year as the Dodgers everyday catcher.
Sergio Garcia's Career Statistics at Oklahoma (2001) and Arizona State (2002):
Year Avg GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB-ATT 2001.... .311 59-59 225 33 70 11 2 4 33 22 32 8-14 2002.... .336 49-32 113 30 38 4 0 1 14 20 11 16-22 TOTAL... .320 108-91 338 63 108 15 2 5 47 42 43 24-36