June 15, 2005
IOWA CITY – University of Iowa outfielder Jesse Brownell has been signed to a professional contract by the Colorado Rockies. Brownell, a senior from Casper, WY, attended a tryout camp with 60 other players in Pueblo, CO, last week and impressed the Colorado scouts enough to earn a contract offer.
Brownell had an injury-plagued senior season, but still managed to play 42 games, hitting .200 with four doubles, a home run and four stolen bases. As a junior at Iowa, Brownell hit .271 with three home runs and 26 RBIs.
“It’s great to see Jesse get a shot like this,” Iowa Head Coach Jack Dahm said. “He struggled with some injuries this year, which kept his numbers down a little. Jesse has a lot of the tools that scouts look for, though, and I’m not surprised that the scouts saw this.”
Brownell joins teammates Andy Lytle and Kris Welker in the professional ranks. Lytle was drafted in the 25th round by the Cleveland Indians, while Welker was taken in the 41st round by the Chicago White Sox.