Merrill was drafted by the Chicago White Sox following a standout career at Los Altos in which he was named MVP of the Miramonte League, 1st Team All San Gabriel Valley and 2nd Team All CIF. After transferring to Cal State Long Beach from Mt. San Antonio Junior College where he earned All-Conference Honors and the team MVP award, Merrill played an integral role for Coach Dave Snow's Dirtbags that earned a berth in the 1998 College World Series. After graduating from LBSU following the 1999 season, Merrill signed a free agent contract with the Montreal Expos organization and played one season.
Coach Merrill enjoys watching ESPN, playing with his son Trent, hitting the golf course and spending time with his beautiful wife, Jennifer. Congratulations are in order for the Merrills as they celebrate the birth of their new son, Drew Curtis Merrill coming into the world at a healthy 7lbs. 5oz. 21in. long at 5:53 PM on Tues. Feb. 24th, 2004!.