Rusty Tucker waited all afternoon Tuesday and wasn’t selected in the first 20 rounds of the major league baseball amateur draft.

Wednesday was a different story, as the University of Maine pitcher was taken in the 21st round by the San Diego Padres.

The 20-year-old lefthander from Gloucester, Mass., was the 14th pick in the 21st round and the 630th player drafted overall. Tucker was the eighth pitcher taken by the Padres, who selected two other lefthanders prior to him.

Tucker was named the America East Pitcher of the Year this spring after going 7-2 with a 3.26 earned run average and 70 strikeouts in 66? innings.

“I spoke with Rusty and I think he’s disappointed being picked in the 21st round,” said UMaine coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “However, I think he’s excited about being selected in the major league draft.”

Tucker had been offered the chance to get picked in the 20th round Monday by the Detroit Tigers, but told them he wanted considerably more money than they were offering him to sign.

There likely won’t be big money offered by the Padres, who can talk to Tucker all summer. Kostacopoulos can only sit back and wait to see whether Tucker opts to sign or return for his senior year with the Black Bears.

“San Diego will be coming in within the next few days and talking to him,” Kostacopoulos said. “It’s a pretty standard package offered in that round. He has to decide whether he wants to sign or finish up college and see what happens.”

As a college head coach, Kostacopoulos has had only two juniors get drafted and not sign. At Providence, Lou Merloni was picked in the 35th round, then played his senior season and became a 10th-round pick of the Boston Red Sox, for which he now plays.

Skowhegan’s Kregg Jarvais was taken in the 25th round by Atlanta in 1998, but returned to UMaine and was picked in the 11th round by the Red Sox in ’99. He signed and played two seasons in the minor leagues.

“It comes down to whatever’s right for [Tucker],” Kostacopoulos said. “I don’t try to talk them into staying and I don’t try to talk them into signing.”

No other players with Maine ties: Steve Osborne of Saint Joseph’s College or UMaine’s Joe Drapeau and Simon Stoner, were drafted.

Collar is Freshman All-America

Mike Collar of Scarborough, who made an impressive collegiate debut for the University of Maine this spring, has been named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American team published by Collegiate Baseball magazine.

Collar, a righthanded pitcher, is the third straight Black Bear to be so honored. Joe Drapeau of Biddeford was chosen last year and Mike Ross was picked in 1999.

Collar, a 6-foot-3, 205-pounder, posted an 8-0 record and a 3.55 ERA in 63? innings. He struck out 45 and walked 15 en route to America East Rookie of the Year accolades.

“I think his biggest quality is he’s extremely coachable and really worked well with [assistant coach] Mike [McRae],” Kostacopoulos said. “He had a lot of the pieces of the puzzle before he got here, but he did a great job putting them together. If he can build off that, he’ll be a special kid two years down the road.”

Collar was one of three Bears named to the Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association All-Northeast Team. Senior first baseman Jon Hambelton was a first-team pick, while sophomore catcher Drapeau and Collar were named to the second team.

Kostacopoulos said having another Freshman All-American shows UMaine is on the right track.

“I think it shows we’re after the right kids,” he said.