SHANE COSTA, OF
triple A, Kansas City Royals
Costa was the Big West Conference player of the year in 2003 and ranks among the top 10 in NCAA history after being hit by a pitch 57 times in his career. Costa, listed as the team's eighth-best prospect by Baseball America, started the season with the Royals before being sent down on June 16 because Manager Buddy Bell was dissatisfied with his defense. Costa is off to a strong start at Omaha, batting .378 and slugging .730 in his first nine games. For the Royals, Costa was hitting .248 in 39 games, with four homers and 19 RBIs.
