A year ago, Sitka's Matt Way said no way to Major League Baseball.

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Matt Way

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He decided he was better off staying in college and pitching another season at Washington State.

And he was right: Way turned in a record-setting season as a senior, the Cougars ended a long playoff drought -- and the majors came calling again.

The reigning World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies picked Way in the fifth round of the baseball draft Wednesday, making the lefty one of the highest draft picks in Alaska history.

Way, who is attending summer school in Pullman, Wash., said he plans to sign a contract and expects to be assigned to a minor-league team in New Jersey.

The San Francisco Giants picked Way in the 36th round of last year's draft, but Way decided another year in college would better prepare him for a career in baseball.

"It was a good call to come back," he said in a teleconference Wednesday afternoon. "I'm not sure how money-wise it'll work out, but I'm definitely glad I came back for one last season. I felt a lot more comfortable going into the minor-league system now, trying to climb the ladder this year instead of last year."

In the year between the drafts, Way set a single-season strikeout record for Washington State with 124, breaking the mark previously held by Aaron Sele, who went on to a major league career.

Way was 8-4 with a 2.43 earned-run average (and 33 walks against those 124 strikeouts) and was a mainstay in Washington State's starting rotation. He helped lead the Cougars to their first playoff appearance in 19 seasons.

And, he added another pitch to his arsenal, developing a slider to go along with his fastball and change-up.

"It kinda helps to go into the minor leagues when you have three pitches," Way said. "It sets up my change-up and fastball and it's another weapon to use against left-handed hitters. Just developing that pitch should help me in the long run."

The 6-foot-2 Way was the 167th player selected in this year's draft. He said he doesn't expect to get as much bonus money as he may have a year ago, when he still had a season of college eligibility left and therefore some bargaining power. Not that it matters. For Way, it was more important to gain another year of college experience, and develop his slider, than to secure a fat signing bonus.

"He really made a mature, mature decision," Washington State coach Donnie Marbut told the Seattle Times this spring. "Most kids his age just want to take a couple of dollars and start their career. He said, 'Coach, I'm ready to play in the minor leagues, but I'm not ready to play in the big leagues.' He wanted to be prepared when he came out."

In high school, Way starred in swimming and baseball in Sitka. He won back-to-back state championships in the 100 breast stroke his junior and senior years, and as a senior he led Sitka to the 2005 state baseball championship.

Few Alaskans have gone as high as the fifth round in the draft. Brian Montalbo of Girdwood was a fourth-round pick in 2000, Trajan Langdon of Anchorage was a sixth-round pick in 1994, Chad Bentz of Juneau was a seventh-rounder in 2001 and Marshall Boze of Soldotna was a 12th-rounder in 1990. Of those, only Bentz and Boze made it to the majors.

Find Beth Bragg online at adn.com/contact/bbragg or call 257-4309.

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