By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

With one week remaining before classes start at Ohio University, the Reds continue efforts to sign fifth-round draft pick Marc Cornell.

The right-handed pitcher visited Great American Ball Park on Sunday and threw in the visitors' bullpen for Reds scouts.

Cornell went 7-3 with a 3.84 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings as a junior last season at Ohio University.

Rated as one of the best pitching prospects in the June draft, Cornell's stock dropped after he experienced shoulder tendinitis during the season.

He was listed on a roster for the Delaware Cows of the Great Lakes Summer League, but did not appear in a game.

Cornell and high school first baseman Andy D'Alessio remain the only unsigned players among the Reds' top 10 draftees.

KIND WORDS: Reds relief pitcher Scott Randall, who spent nine seasons in the minor leagues before being promoted from Triple-A Louisville last week, received quite an endorsement from Cardinals outfielder Jim Edmonds.

After Randall pitched a scoreless eighth inning Saturday - striking out Albert Pujols and Edmonds, and getting Scott Rolen to ground out - Edmonds approached Reds third base coach Ray Knight and inquired about Randall.

"He just said, 'Hey, where did this kid come from,' " Knight said Sunday. "He said, 'He's got good stuff. He threw me a breaking ball with a lot of bite. His fastball is sneaky. He really looks like he knows what he's doing.' "

Randall, who has thrown three scoreless innings since his promotion, was flattered by Edmonds' comments.

"That's cool," he said. "Any time someone says something like that, it makes you feel good, especially a hitter of that caliber."

MINOR MATTERS: Major league rosters can expand from 25 to 40 players today.

The Reds are not expected to call up anybody from Triple-A Louisville until the club is finished with the International League playoffs.

The Bats clinched the International League's West Division title for the second time in three years with a 6-1 win against Toledo on Saturday.

They will either play at Charlotte or at Durham in a five-game series starting Wednesday.

MR. PERFECT: Tom Browning, the only Reds pitcher to throw a perfect game, visited the Reds clubhouse before Sunday's game.

Browning managed the expansion Florence Freedom of the Frontier League this season.

SHORT HOPS: The Reds are a season-high 18 games under .500 at 59-78, and are alone in last place in the NL Central.

• Second baseman D'Angelo Jimenez has hit safely in eight of his past 10 games (14-for-38, .368) with two homers and seven RBI.

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E-mail kkevin@enquirer.com