PORTLAND, Ore. – Joey Gartrell became the third University of Portland player taken in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft as the Boston Red Sox picked him in the 15th round with the 447th overall selection on Tuesday. Gartrell joins fellow Pilot pitchers Sam Stuhr and Nick Brink, who were drafted on Monday.

Gartrell becomes the 10th Pilot to be drafted since Portland head coach Geoff Loomis took the reins in 2016 and 69th Pilot to be drafted all-time. This is the first time in program history that three players have been taken in the 15th round or higher in the same draft class.

They trio now joins former Pilot catcher Cooper Hummel and shortstop Chad Stevens as the only active Pilots currently with an MLB organization. Hummel is currently with the Houston Astros Triple-A affiliate in the Sugar Land Space Cowboys while Stevens plays with the Tri-City Dust Devils, a High-A affiliate with the Los Angeles Angels.

Gartrell, a Canby High School native, started four games this season for the Pilots before going down with a season-ending arm injury. He was 2-2 with a 5.23 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 20.2 innings pitched. As a sophomore in 2023, the right-hander was 5-5 with a 5.70 ERA. He struck out 66 batters in a team-high 78.1 innings pitched.

Gartrell earned All-West Coast Conference Freshman Team honors in 2022 after going 4-1 with a 4.46 ERA.

It was an incredible year for the Pilots, who went 37-19 overall and 19-5 in WCC play. Their 37 wins were the most they've posted in a single season and their 19 wins are the most they've ever had in WCC play and the most across any conference they've played in since 1980. They made the 2024 WCC Tournament Championship this year, advancing to the championship game for the second season in a row.

Portland Head Coach Geoff Loomis on Gartrell

"Joe is a big-time strike thrower with the ability to miss barrels. I wish we could have seen Joe at full strength this year but getting drafted under these circumstances shows what type of potential he has at the MLB level."

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