According to Baseball Reference, the online encyclopedia that keeps records for just about everything regarding American pro baseball, just two former BRHS alums have played affiliated pro baseball.

Those were Grant Cullimore (1948-49) and Dennis Udy (1966-67). Cullimore played two years in the old Pioneer League for the Salt Lake City Bees. Udy was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1966 in the 17th round and played two years of minor-league baseball.

It looks like a third Bear River alumnus is joining the pro ranks.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Tampa Bay Rays selected BRHS alum and current BYU junior pitcher Nate Dahle in the 13th round with the No. 404 overall pick.

“It’s an unreal feeling. I’ve had a lot of people reach out, it doesn’t feel real and won’t until next week,” Dahle told the Standard-Examiner in a phone interview Tuesday.

Dahle, a 6-foot-6, right-handed pitcher, had a stellar prep career for the Bears, then served a two-year church mission before committing to play at College of Southern Idaho. Dahle transferred from CSI to BYU this year.

He and his family gathered at home Tuesday for the draft and the Rays called Dahle with an offer a few minutes before it was time for the team’s 13th-round selection.

Dahle was mid-conversation with his agent about the Rays’ offer, but the team had already made up its mind so Dahle heard his name called on the television while he was on the phone.

“Then everyone just went nuts,” he said.

Two years ago, Dahle said he had considerable concern his baseball career was done.

Dahle blew out his elbow pitching in a late-February game in Las Vegas, had Tommy John surgery in March 2020 (days before the country shut down due to COVID-19) and woke up in the hospital crying, wondering if he’d throw a baseball again.

He since recovered well enough to throw a high-90s fastball with a high-spinning slider as his second pitch.

“It’s been nothing but a blessing, the biggest blessing ever to be able to go play catch again, to throw again and have a chance to make a mark and make a run at pro ball,” Dahle said.

At BYU this past season, Dahle pitched 42 2/3 innings in 25 appearances with 61 strikeouts against 11 walks as a reliever. He had a 2.74 ERA and two saves for the Cougars.

His best outing this season was likely the one where he pitched the longest, a 5 1/3 inning outing against Milwaukee-Wisconsin where he allowed three hits and one run with seven strikeouts.

Since Dahle is a junior at BYU and still has college eligibility, he could choose to stay with the Cougars and possibly improve his draft potential ahead of the 2023 draft. But Dahle is 24 years old, so he felt he should take his chance at pro baseball this year while he could.

At the start of the season, Dahle envisioned himself as a possible free-agent signing after the draft but pitched well enough for pro teams to tell him he had potential and ask how much money it would take to sign him.

The Rays made Dahle what he termed a “fair” signing bonus offer. He declined other offers Monday to be taken earlier in the draft because he felt were too low, even for his age.

His first order of business Tuesday, though, was to pick up a Tampa Bay Rays hat. The family couldn’t find any at the Ogden mall but eventually found some in Layton.

“I guess it’s a tough hat to come by since we’re so far from Tampa,” Dahle said.

This marks the second straight year a former Northern Utah prep pitcher was taken in the draft after Fremont alumnus Ky Bush was picked last year in the second round by the Los Angeles Angels.

Connect with reporter Patrick Carr via email at pcarr@standard.net, Twitter @patrickcarr_ and Instagram @standardexaminersports.