By Steve Mims
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. —
Three players off the 2023 Springfield Drifters heard their name selected during the Major League Baseball Draft this week. Oregon State’s Bridger Holmes, Oregon’s Bryce Boettcher and Whitworth’s Hunter Dryden were all taken during the three-day draft. A total of 54 West Coast League alums were picked in the draft including Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 overall selection by Cleveland who played for the Corvallis Knights during his time at Oregon State.
Holmes spent one season as a teammate of Bazzana as he went 3-4 with a 1.96 ERA in 26 games as a junior with the Beavers. He led the Pac-12 with 13 saves while earning All-American honors from D1Baseball.com, Perfect Game, the ABCA, and NCBWA.
“I had a great time there, not only learning to be a better player but a better human,” Holmes said. “Coach Canham and the staff are great at that. They helped me mentally and physically and that was a key to my success this season.” Holmes was selected in the seventh round by the Los Angeles Angels. “It was a pretty nerve-wracking day,” he said. “I got a call from the Angels pretty close to their pick and that is a good organization with a path to the majors.”
The 6-foot-4 Holmes, whose dad Garrett played on the offensive line at Oregon in the 1980s, is a North Bend graduate who spent two seasons at Feather River Community College in Quincy, Calif., before joining the Beavers. He started five games for Springfield last summer and went 0-1 with a 2.10 ERA while striking out 37 in 25.2 innings. “I threw a lot in JuCo that spring, but I still wanted to play for the Drifters and get some innings in,” Holmes said. “Those five starts helped for sure, I got to see better guys and get used to that.” Boettcher, a South Eugene graduate, was drafted in the 13th round by the Houston Astros. “I was pretty pumped up, I look forward to the opportunity,” he said. Boettcher batted .276 with 12 homers, 46 runs, 15 stolen bases and 35 RBIs as the starting center fielder as a senior for the Ducks while earning honorable mention, All-Conference honors and all-defensive team recognition. Boettcher played two games for Springfield last summer while also working out with the UO football team.
“I only played two games for Springfield, but swinging with the wood bat was helpful,” Boettcher said. The 6-2, 220-pound two-sport star will play one more season at linebacker for the Ducks. He played in all 14 games for UO as a junior, including two starts, while ranking fifth on the team with 37 tackles. “The Astros are going to let me play football this fall so I am pumped up to go into the Big 10 and have a chance to win a national title,” Boettcher said. “Then I will report to spring training for baseball. I am excited to put more time into baseball. I have had limited reps and at-bats so I am looking forward to that.” Dryden, a 5-foot-11 right-handed pitcher, pitched for the Drifters in 2022 and 2023. Last summer, he went 2-4 with a 5.18 ERA in 10 starts while striking out 51 in 50.1 innings. “Absolutely both of my seasons with the Drifters helped with my success,” he said. “It was huge for me as a pitcher and helped me get to where I am.”
Dryden was an All-Region pick last spring for Whitworth University when he went 6-3 while leading the Northwest Conference in ERA at 2.10. He committed to transfer to Gonzaga next year for his final season of eligibility, but will now likely instead sign with the Giants after being selected in the draft. “I was blessed to have my family with me for that incredible moment, seeing my name pop up, I will never forget it,” he said. “I was working with an advisor and he had a positive feeling I’d be taken on Day 3 of the draft, but you never know what will happen.”
