Rutgers pitcher Drew Conover was selected No. 316 overall by the Oakland Athletics in the 11th round in the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft on Tuesday. He joins Rutgers teammate Ryan Lasko, who was drafted by the A’s in the second round on Sunday.
This marks the second straight year that Conover was drafted. He was selected in the 20th round (No. 597) by the Detroit Tigers. However, he opted to remain in college. While he could return with another year of eligibility remaining, it seems more likely Conover will turn pro.
After two seasons at Seton Hall, Conover transferred to Rutgers. Last summer, he became a Cape Cod League All-Star.
This past spring, was named a Third Team All-Big Ten selection. In 2023 for Rutgers, Conover was 5-4 with a 4.50 ERA. He made 14 starts and 17 appearances overall. Conover had 83 strikeouts and 45 walks over 68.0 innings pitched. He pitched seven scoreless innings in a win against Penn State while tying a career high with 9 strikeouts. He delivered a second straight 7 inning, 9 strikeout performance against Northwestern. Against Michigan, Conover also delivered a seven inning scoreless outing with six strikeouts.
At Seton Hall during the 2002 season, Conover pitched in 18 games and made one start. He finished with a 5.73 ERA in 33.0 innings, striking out 43 with 25 walks. However, he finished the 2022 campaign strong with an 0.60 ERA in his final 15.1 innings pitched.
“Drew has an electric arm with three swing-and-miss pitches,” head coach Steve Owens said. “He continues to improve and we are all excited to watch him take his skills to the professional level. He has huge potential to be an impact pitcher.”
Conover’s father, Kevin, who pitched for Rutgers as well, was selected in the 25th round and 641st overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 1989 MLB Draft. The Conover’s are now the first father-son duo in Rutgers baseball history to both be drafted.
With a power arm and multiple plus pitches, Conover’s future is bright.
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