College of Idaho right-handed pitcher Riley O’Brien became the highest Major League Baseball draft pick in program history, as the Tampa Bay Rays selected the senior in the eighth-round on Day 2 of the First-Year Player Draft.
O’Brien becomes the 11th C of I player to be selected in the MLB Draft. He transferred to C of I after two seasons at Everett Community College. For this last season, O’Brien was 3-4 with a 2.15 ERA, walking just 23 and striking out 81 in 67 innings of work.
Previous College of Idaho MLB First-Year Player Draft Picks
1988 Craig Lewis 15th Round Pittsburgh
1990 John Brasse 29th Round Los Angeles (NL)
1992 Jason Butcher 13th Round Los Angeles (NL)
Brian Ewing 32nd Round Minnesota
1994 Don Bellum 9th Round St. Louis
1996 Kurt Alderman 15th Round Montreal
Tim Onofrei 28th Round St. Louis
1997 Jason Simontacchi 21st Round Kansas City
2001 Jason Stefani 33rd Round Los Angeles (NL)
2012 Izaac Garsez 30th Round Chicago (NL)
2017 Riley O’Brien 8th Round Tampa Bay