Koley Kolberg, the 7th Round draft choice of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2004
Major League Baseball Draft, has signed and will be heading to Yakima to suit up
for the Bears. Kolberg was the second-highest pitcher selected by the
Diamondbacks in 2004, and will join 3rd Rounder Garrett Mock and 9th Round pick
A. J. Shappi as some of the top draft picks in a Yakima Bears uniform in 2004.
Kolberg finished with a 9-7 record and a 4.70 ERA for the University of Arizona,
who advanced to the College World Series in Omaha, NE. It was the first trip to
Omaha for the Wildcats since they won the title in 1986. Kolberg was the ace of
the staff, logging 149.2 innings, striking out 123 batters in the process. Used
both as a starter and a reliever, Kolberg started 21 games on the mound and also
had two saves. He spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons at Navarro Junior College in
Texas.
2004 marked the third time that Kolberg has been drafted. Selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 35th round out of high school in 2001, Kolberg was drafted again
by Boston in 2002 but did not sign. He arrived and is in uniform
for the Bears this weekend against the Tri-City Dust Devils, but will not see
action as the organization has decided Kolberg will be shut down for the
remainder of the summer due to his extensive work at the University of Arizona.