Ex-Dawg Gretler goes to Pirates in 10th

Former Okotoks Dawgs 3B Michael Gretler was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Photo: Amanda Fewer. 

By Tyler Lowey
Okotoks Dawgs

OKOTOKS, Alta. — The Pittsburgh Pirates selected former Okotoks Dawgs 3B Michael Gretler in the 10th round, 294th overall during Tuesday’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. 

The Bonney Lake, Wash., native played for the Dawgs during the 2016 Western Major Baseball League season. In 34 games, he hit .331 in 136 regular season at bats with 11 doubles, four home runs, 18 walks, two stolen bases and drove in 36 RBIs.

“The Dawgs are thrilled to see Michael Gretler drafted today by the Pirates,” said Dawgs Founding and Managing Director John Ircandia. “In his summer with the Dawgs, Michael was a class act in every respect; a great player and teammate, and a first class individual. Congrats Michael from the your friends in Okotoks,” 

Gretler is in his senior year at Oregon State University with the Beavers where he hit .314 with a .885 OPS. In 52 games, he recorded 20 doubles, seven home runs and 43 RBIs.

This was the third time he was drafted by an MLB team, as the Pirates previously took him in the 39th round in 2017 and in the 39th round by the Boston Red Sox in 2014.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Gretler is the sixth Beaver to be taken in the draft this year. He was also the first third basemen to be selected by the Pirates this year.

Gretler was the first member of the Dawgs organization to get drafted since the Arizona Diamondbacks selected OF Clayton Keyes with the 442nd pick in the 15th round during last June.