Congrats to Pilot Draftees!

PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland Pilots junior pitcher Zach Varce and senior catcher Rocky Gale were both selected on the second day of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft. Varce went to the New York Yankees in the 11th round, while the San Diego Padres selected Gale in the 24th round.

Varce, a right-hander who was taken with the 355th overall pick, was nearly unhittable at times as he made the transition from UP’s closer last year to the No. 1 starter this spring. The Seattle, Wash., native went 6-2 overall with an ERA of 3.29 to earn All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention. He finished the regular season third in the WCC and 18th in the nation with 111 strikeouts, which ranks third all-time during a single-season at UP. He also had five games with nine punch outs and he averaged 10.7 K’s per nine innings. On Feb. 27, Varce combined with Chris Dennis to strikeout a program record 19 during a 2-1, 10-inning win over Seattle. Varce fanned 14, while Dennis K’d five.

Gale, a native of Keizer, Ore., was named the WCC’s Defensive Player of the Year after a stellar senior campaign. He hit a team and career-high .347, hit .431 during league play, belted two home runs, had 11 doubles, scored 20 runs and brought home 16. He also threw out a staggering 18 of 23 attempted base stealers, for a national-leading percentage of .782. Gale, who was named to the All-WCC First Team this spring, threw out 94 of 233 attempted base stealers during his four years on The Bluff, for a percentage of .403.

Major League Baseball’s 2010 amateur draft concludes on Wednesday with Rounds 31-50.