Right-handed pitcher Adrian Sampson, who helped Bellevue College to the 2011 NWAC title, was dealt from the Pittsburgh Pirates organization to his hometown Seattle Mariners for pitcher J.A. Happ just before Friday’s Major League Baseball trade deadline.
“I think it’s going to help him because the Pirates, kind of the word even when they drafted him, were just so loaded with young pitching,” Bellevue College baseball coach Mark Yoshino said when heard of the trade. “The fact that he escalated so high, so quick with all those other young pitchers was kind of surprising in some ways just because they had so many good talented young arms.”
Sampson, who played at Skyline High School was originally drafted by the Florida Marlins in 2011, but did not sign and returned to Bellevue for the 2012 season. He was then drafted in the fifth round by the Pirates in 2012. Sampson was pitching this season for the Pirates Triple-A affiliate Indianapolis, where he was 8-8 with 3.98 ERA in 21 starts.
Sampson is scheduled to report to Triple-A Tacoma, the Mariners said in a release.
“I think just the fact that the Triple-A team is in Tacoma is obviously a nice side benefit also,” Yoshino said. “”If he makes it to the show, it’ll be our third Seattle Mariner.”
Former Bellevue College players Steve Gajkowski played for the Mariners in 1998 and Jason Ellison in 2007.
Here is the trade story, as well as a feature story on Sampson following the 2011 Bellevue season, and a recap of the 2011 conference championship, when it was known as the NWAACC.
Adrian Sampson composes a mound miracle – June 28, 2011
Bellevue wins NWAACC Baseball Title – May 30, 2011
Last Updated December 3, 2020
