2012 Grand Forks International baseball tournament (GFI) all-star pitcher David Otterman was drafted in the seventh round by the Milwaukee Brewers in the annual Major League Baseball first-year player draft last week.
He was the second of 26 Canadians to be taken and not much time was wasted in getting his professional career underway, as he has already signed a contract.
The big left-hander played three years at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and is from Coquitlam, B.C.
His college coach, Terry McKaig said, “He now gets to realize his childhood dream of playing professional baseball”, and added, “A very exciting day for David and his family, and the UBC baseball program.”
We can add that the GFI family is also proud and thrilled.
The following day, the Boston Red Sox selected another UBC athlete and former GFI participant, Keaton Briscoe, in the 24th round of the amateur draft.
Keaton played second base for the Thunderbirds. He is from North Vancouver, B.C. and batted .318 in 100 career games in college.
This brings to 19 the number of UBC players who have been taken in the MLB draft since that baseball program was re-started in 1997.
This was not the end of things for GFI alumni, as two others went in last week’s amateur draft. Lewis Clark (LC) State’s Austin Pentecost, a senior right-hander, went in the 29th round to the Chicago Cubs and his teammate Luke Goodgion was grabbed in round 33 by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Pentecost became the first LC State player to be drafted by the Cubs and the Lewis Clark State baseball program now has at least one player drafted from all 30 of the current Major League franchises.
“It feels good, kind of like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” Pentecost said about being drafted. “I talked to a few scouts the night before and they were telling me that I’d probably get picked somewhere between 16 to 30, but I was really surprised by the Cubs because I hadn’t really talked to them all season.”
Goodgion pitched a complete game shutout for the Lewiston Truckers in last year’s Grand Forks International tourney while David Otterman also tossed seven scoreless innings in a game for Team Canada.
Fans in attendance last year, and in previous years, were privileged to watch them first in Grand Forks, along with Keaton Briscoe and Austin Pentecost.
Now they will display their talents in professional leagues around North America.