Andrew Sopko, a 6-foot-2 right-handed pitcher from Missoula, was selected in the seventh round of the Major League Baseball draft on Tuesday.
Kalispell’s Joe Pistorese, a senior at Washington State University, is expected to be drafted this week. The second day of the draft ended Tuesday after 10 rounds. The draft resumes Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers took Sopko, a junior from Gonzaga, with the 222nd pick in the seventh round. Sopko, a 2012 graduate of Missoula Loyola, led the Missoula Mavericks to the Class AA American Legion state championship in 2010. The San Diego Padres selected him in the 14th round of the 2012 draft.
This spring was Sopko’s second full season as a starter and he went 7-5 with a 3.55 ERA and 78 strikeouts through 88 2/3 innings. He went at least six innings while allowing two runs or fewer seven times and was an All-West Coast Conference honorable mention.
Pistorese just completed his senior season at Washington State University. The 6-foot-2 lefty posted an 8-5 record with a 2.41 ERA while starting all 15 games he pitched. He had 67 strikeouts in 104 innings and four complete games. He was named first-team All-Pac 12 and twice was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week. The former Kalispell Laker ended his Cougar career as the all-time leader in innings pitched (369) and tied for most career starts (55).
Pistorese graduated from Flathead High School in 2011 and was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 44th round that spring.
Entering this week’s draft, 63 players from Montana have been drafted by a Major League Baseball franchise.