Corban Standout Kopra Signs Contract with Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
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 (MLB) Draft. With the signing, Kopra is the fourth 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 fourth Warrior baseball player to sign a contract with an MLB team, following Rich Dorman '2000, a RHP who signed with the Seattle Mariners; Jamie McGraw '2008, an outfielder who signed with the Texas Rangers; and Jason Braun '2009, a RHP who signed with the Cincinnati Reds.
For more information about the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, please visit the team's official webpage.
Kopra's phenomenal season led the Corban baseball team to a 29-26 overall record with a number of team and individual records falling in the process. Kopra now holds the record for most wins in a season individually to go along with the lowest ERA ever. In addition, he is now tied for the program record with three shutouts.
As a team, the Warriors shattered the previous ERA record with a new mark of 3.06. The squad also set new program records with seven shutouts, an opponent batting average of .216, fewest earned runs allowed (162), and also tied the program record with only 13 homeruns given up.
Offensively, junior first baseman Daniel Orr (Kingston, Wash.) set new program-best marks for at-bats (211), hits (79), and total bases (119), while tying the single-season mark for doubles (23) and triples (4). As a team, the squad racked up new batting records with 498 hits and 1,840 at-bats.
"The 2014 team reached a lot of new goals and milestones for the program," said McKay. "It was one of the most successful teams in history with the 29 overall wins and a tie for 3rd place in the conference. Despite being young and inexperienced, it was the most talented squad ever at Corban and was very close to a championship team."
"New pitching coach Sean Buller did a great job with the development of our pitchers, and the starting pitching staff which was led by Kopra, was the strength of this team. I am very fortunate to have a staff of assistants that did a great job in many areas of the program to serve the players in all ways," McKay reflected. "Their knowledge and dedication is second to none among northwest small college baseball programs. I am most proud of this group in their overall attitude. They developed a work ethic, competitiveness, and strong character attributes as they grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."