Richland's Yardley signs with Padres

Richland native Eric Yardley signed a contract with the San Diego Padres and will report to the organization’s Rookie League squad in Peoria, Ariz.

Yardley was the closer for Seattle University the past two seasons, is expected to join the Peoria Padres of the Arizona League in time for today’s game against the Arizona Dodgers in Glendale, Ariz.

“This is unreal,” Yardley said after receiving the call from one of the Padres scouts. “Goosebumps came over me now that I have finally gotten a call to experience a dream I have had for the past 22 years of my life.”

Yardley had recently joined the Trinidad Triggers of the independent Pecos League after spending time on the roster of the Taos Blizzard of the same league.

Yardley finished the 2013 season second in the Western Athletic Conference with 11 saves and led the Redhawks with a 2.52 earned run average in 25 appearances, thanks in part to allowing only four walks in 35 2/3 innings. He won the John Kelly Award as the team’s pitcher of the year and was a two-time winner of the Cam Christian Award for the best representation of the Redhawk baseball program on and off the field.

An Academic All-WAC honoree, Yardley received his Bachelor of Arts degree in humanities for teaching last month. He becomes the first Seattle U baseball player to be signed by a major league organization since the school brought back the program in 2008.

This story was originally published July 18, 2013 at 11:13 PM with the headline "Richland's Yardley signs with Padres."