Jeff Sebring, who pitched for Iowa State this season, agreed to and signed a contract with the Colorado Rockies on Friday.

Sebring will receive a $75,000 signing bonus, and left Wednesday morning for Portland, Ore., where he will start practice with an A-Division team.

Sebring compiled a 5.72 ERA and a 16-14 record, during his three-year career with the Cyclones.

Compared to his previous two seasons, Sebring did not shine in his last year with the Cyclones.

Sebring collected a 6-9 record and a 8.18 ERA.

Sebring doesn’t think his performance at Iowa State was the deciding factor in his being drafted.

The south paw from Boone, Iowa pitched for the Wareham Gatesmen in the Cape Cod League, and went undefeated with a 7-0 record and a 1.91 ERA.

“The Cape Cod League was a big difference,” Sebring said.

“It helped me tremendously.”

The Cape Cod League provides competition that helps prepare young athletes who want to go further than college.

The batters even use wooden bats.

Sebring was phoned by a Colorado scout the night before the draft and told that the Rockies would have a good chance at signing the ISU pitcher.

The scout who phoned Sebring had seen him play in the Cape Cod league and was very impressed.

If Sebring does well with the Portland team, he will be transferred to Asheville, N.C. where he will play at a higher level in the A-division.

Iowa State head coach Lyle Smith expressed great confidence in Sebring’s ability to prosper as a pro baseball player, but also knows the road to the big leagues is a long hard one.

“Obviously it’s a long way away,” Smith said.

“He is going to have to climb the ladder; it will be interesting.”

Smith noted that Sebring needs to acquire a more consistent breaking ball to become the pitcher he wants to be, and Sebring agreed.

“I need to work on a pitch that can get me out of a jam,” Sebring said. “A good consistent breaking ball can do that.”

Even though Sebring will not be on the Iowa State baseball team next season, he will return in the fall to finish his last year of college.