Pitcher from Salem's Corban College Signs With Angels

With the signing, Kopra is the fifth Corban baseball player to sign an MLB contract.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim announced on Wednesday that the team has signed Corban University baseball standout Jacob Kopra (Gresham, Ore.) to a professional contract. Photo Courtesy: Corban College Athletics

(Anaheim, Calif.) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim announced on Wednesday that the team has signed Corban University baseball standout Jacob Kopra (Gresham, Ore.) to a professional contract.

Kopra signs the contract as an undrafted free agent after missing out on being selected in the 2014 Major League Baseball Draft.

With the signing, Kopra is the fifth Corban baseball player to sign an MLB contract.

"I feel blessed to have the opportunity to continue to play baseball, and this is where God wants to use me right now," said Kopra. "It could be a long or short career, but I'm just rolling with what He gives me right now."

"It's very surreal," Kopra continued. "I've always wanted to play professional baseball, so I've had to pinch myself a couple of times to make sure it's all really happening. I've had amazing support from my family, my fiancé - Caitlyn Tuma, and all of my coaches and teammates. The support and encouragement I've received has been incredible, and I definitely would not be here without all of these great people!"

Kopra, who recently completed the best pitching season in Corban's history, may very well go down as the best player to ever don a Warrior baseball jersey. After being named the NAIA West Pitcher of the Year, Kopra became the first player in Corban history to garner NAIA Second-Team All-America recognition. Moreover, his accolades in the classroom saw him named a 2014 Daktronics-NAIA Baseball Scholar-Athlete thanks to his 3.60 GPA.

As the first-ever player in program history to collect the NAIA West Pitcher of the Year award, Kopra dominated everyone he faced during the 2014 campaign. With a perfect 10-0 record from the mound and a stellar 1.33 ERA, Kopra registered five complete games during the season and pitched a total of 101.1 innings. In addition, he allowed an opponent batting average of just .167 while striking out 68 batters during the season. Moreover, Kopra tallied three complete-game shutouts and one save during the historic campaign.

"I am very happy for Jacob," said Head Baseball Coach Jeff McKay. "It was one of his goals when he decided to come back for his fifth year to put himself into a position to have an opportunity to play at the professional level. He worked very hard on adjustments to his delivery with recommendations from pitching coach Sean Buller and myself, and I know he will do everything he can to be successful at the next level. It will be a great experience for him, and he will represent Corban University and the Corban baseball program very well."

Kopra becomes the fifth Warrior baseball player to sign a contract with an MLB team, following Rich Dorman '2000, a RHP who signed with the Seattle Mariners; Brian Nelson '2007, an outfielder who signed with the Texas Rangers; Jamie McGraw '2008, an outfielder who signed with the Texas Rangers; and Jason Braun '2009, a RHP who signed with the Cincinnati Reds.

Source: Corbin College Athletics