Two more Kansas baseball players sign pro deals

Former Kansas University baseball players Robby Price and Brian Heere signed professional contracts with major-league organizations and likely will make their pro debuts this weekend.

Price, a senior second baseman from Lawrence (Free State High), was taken with the 401st overall pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in this year’s MLB First Year Player Draft.

Heere, a junior from Lawrence (Lawrence High), was selected with the 1,230th overall pick by the Cleveland Indians.

Both players have been assigned to teams in the New York-Penn League. The short-season Class A league opened its 2010 season Friday evening.

Two other Jayhawks — junior pitchers Brett Bochy (San Francisco) and T.J. Walz (Oakland) — remain unsigned. Both players have the option of returning to KU for their senior seasons should they not reach an agreement before Aug. 15.