BOISE, Idaho — A pair of Idaho natives heard their names called during day three of the MLB Draft on Tuesday, just two days after the Colorado Rockies selected Rocky Mountain High School alum, Gabriel Hughes, with the No. 10 pick.
In the 13th round, the Oakland Athletics selected right-handed pitcher Jake Pfennigs with the No. 394 pick. Pfennigs is a Post Falls High School graduate, who pitched in 11 games for Oregon State in 2022.
The Coeur d'Alene native was also taken in the 2018 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres in the 35th round. Pfennigs elected not to sign with San Diego and went on to pitch 45 games as a Beaver, raking up 116 strikeouts in 144 innings.
Following his career at Post Falls, Pfennigs was rated the No. 1 prospect across Idaho, Montana and Wyoming by Baseball Northwest. Pfennigs was the 2018 Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year.
In the 20th and final round of the 2022 draft, the Boston Red Sox selected Bishop Kelly alum Connor Butler. The left-handed pitcher is a native of Eagle, Idaho.
After his time with the Knights, Butler attended Hawaii, before transferring to Spokane Falls Community College in 2020. Last season, Butler played for Biola University in La Mirada, Calif. The local standout pitched 11.2 innings with the Eagles, striking out 18.
As a prep athlete, Butler was named to the 4A Southern Idaho Conference First Team as an outfielder and a pitcher in 2018.
In Boise State news, former Bronco Torin Montgomery heard his name called in the 14th round of the MLB Draft. The Miami Marlins - who drafted Montgomery in the 35th round out of Lake Washington Senior High School - selected their man again in 2022.
As a Bronco in 2020, Montgomery batted .308 in 13 starts. He also tied a team-best with 11 runs. The infielder transferred to Missouri in 2021 and made 42 starts. As a junior in 2022, Montgomery led the Tigers with a .365 average and 49 RBIs.
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