OTISFIELD – It took years and years of hard work and, at the last minute, some old fashioned Otisfield ingenuity, but Eric Cavers got to hear his name called in Monday’s Major League Baseball draft.

Cavers, a 2001 graduate of Oxford Hills, was selected in the 10th round, 304th overall, by the Houston Astros.

The draft was broadcast live over the Internet, but, not wanting to tie up the phone line to his house in case a team tried to call him, Cavers listened to it through a speaker phone hook-up from his uncle’s home via his father Rick’s cell phone. Ten minutes after his selection was announced, he received a phone call from Astros’ regional scout Mike Maggert.

Cavers, a right-handed catcher who just completed his junior year at Franklin Pierce College, described himself as being in shock after the selection, though that was more the result of realizing a life-long dream than where he had been drafted.

“I had a pretty good idea it was either going to be (Houston) or the Red Sox, and I thought it might be between the seventh and 15th rounds,” Cavers said.

“I think (being selected by Houston) is perfect,” he added. “I didn’t have a preference, really, who picked me. I’m not worried about moving up right away. That’s not a concern at this point. I just wanted to get an opportunity to move to the next level.”

Baseball America ranked Cavers the third best prospect in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. His stock rose rapidly after he impressed the Astros, Red Sox, Twins, Marlins and Mariners at workouts and was named the Most Valuable Player at the recent New England College All-Star Game at Fenway Park.

“There wasn’t much contact with the clubs for most of the season, but towards the end of the season it started to pick up a little bit,” said Cavers, 21. “I think (winning the MVP) helped me a lot.”

Cavers was a Division II All-American and earned the Northeast Region and Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year awards. He led the Northeast-10 in batting (.394), on-base percentage (.481), slugging (.670), triples (5), home runs (10), runs scored (59), and hits (80), holding school records in the latter two categories. He also ranks among the school’s career leaders in numerous categories.

“Today is a great day for Eric,” said Jayson King, head coach at Franklin Pierce. “He had a great spring and couldn’t have done more to help his cause and now he’ll get a chance to fulfill his dream of playing professional baseball.”

Cavers worked out for teams at catcher, third base and outfield, but the Astros drafted him as a catcher and need immediate help at that position in the minors.

“I told a few teams I’d be will to play any position they wanted me, but catching is what I want to do,” he said.

He will most likely report to either the organization’s Rookie league affiliate in Greeneville, Tennessee or one of its Class A affiliates in Troy, N.Y., Lexington, Ky., or Greeneville, Tenn. King is advising him in his negotiations with the Astros and Cavers expects to receive a contract proposal in the mail today or Wednesday. He’ll then meet with Maggert to work out a deal and hopes to be on his way to one of their minor league teams by the 23rd.

Cavers said one of the terms of his contract will be for the Astros to pay for his senior year at Franklin Pierce, where he plans to return in the fall to complete work on his degree in sport and leisure service management.

Cavers was one of four Mainers selected in the first day of the three-day draft. Mt. Ararat’s Mark Rogers went fifth overall to the Milwaukee Brewers. Two University of Maine products, Simon Williams of Portland (St. Louis Cardinals) and Camden’s Mike MacDonald (Toronto Blue Jays) were selected in the 11th and 15th rounds, respectively.