Tag: Drew Conover

Former Rutgers star Drew Conover is turning things around in the Oakland A’s system

As Ryan Lasko has caught fire at the plate, Drew Conover has found his rhythm on the mound and put together the best stretch of his minor league career

June has been a good month for former Rutgers baseball players in the Oakland A’s minor league system. As Ryan Lasko has caught fire at the plate, Drew Conover has also found his rhythm on the mound and put together the best stretch of his minor league career.

In his last three appearances, Conover has posted a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings. During that span, the 22-year-old has struck out 14 batters and held opponents to a .171 batting average. Due to his recent play, Conover’s ERA has dropped from  21.32 to 9.32

Over the last few weeks, Conover has been a productive arm while working out of trouble. The former 11th-round pick is still walking a lot of batters, but he has avoided big innings. That was not the case in May when he allowed 13 runs in 10.2 innings of work.

One reliever who could shoot up draft boards is RHP Drew Conover (@RutgersBaseball). Slingy arm action, Low 3/4 slot and throws a bowling ball sinker that’s been up to 97 and just dives into RHH hands. High spin SL is a sw/miss pitch with spin rate pushing 3,000

Top-8 round pot. pic.twitter.com/JY2Kb2rEPv

— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) February 7, 2023

Additionally, after splitting time between the rotation and bullpen, Conover’s last three appearances have come as a starter. That is the longest stretch he has gone this year being used out of the rotation. During his time at Rutgers, the former Cape Cod League All-Star only made four appearances as a reliever.

While Conover is far from a finished product, he has shown he can work out of trouble. For Oakland, that is an encouraging sign as during the 2024 campaign, the New Jersey native has split time between Rookie Ball and Single-A. As he has faced adversity, Conover has gotten better.

For Conover the key will be building on his success as the innings pile up. Over the last few weeks he has shown how good he can be.

Rutgers baseball: Drew Conover signs with the Oakland A’s

Former Rutgers star Drew Conover signs with the Oakland A’s.

Former Rutgers star Drew Conover officially signed with the Oakland A’s on Tuesday. Conover was selected by the A’s with the 316 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Conover signed for $ 150,000.

While the New Jersey native only spent one year at Rutgers, he was an important arm. In 68 innings of work, Conover posted a 4.50 ERA while pitching out of the rotation and bullpen. He also struck out 83 batters and only allowed two home runs.

Due to his play, Conover earned 2023 All-Big Ten Third team honors. The talented right-hander has been stockpiling awards over the last year. He was named a Cape Cod League All-Star in 2022. Now he will be looking to build on his success in Oakland.

 

As Conover begins his professional career, he will have a familiar face in one of his Rutgers teammates joining him in Oakland. Ryan Lasko was taken in the second round of the draft and signed with the A’s on Sunday. Having Lasko by his side at the next level is one of the many reasons Conover is excited for the next chapter of his baseball career.

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“It’s awesome. I’m excited. Ready to get to work,” Conover told NJ Advance Media after he was selected. “Sticking together, like once you develop a friendship being teammates, it’s good to carry that on to the next level.”

During the 2023 campaign, Conover and Lasko were crucial to Rutgers success as they went 33-23 and 14-10 in conference play.

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Drew Conover is the Rutgers player selected in 2023 MLB Draft

Former Rutgers star Drew Conover heard his name called for the second time in the MLB Draft on Tuesday.

For the second time in the last three days, the Oakland A’s turned to Rutgers on Tuesday afternoon as they continued to build for the future. With the 316th pick in the MLB Draft, Oakland selected former Rutgers star Drew Conover.

In his only season as a Scarlet Knight, the New Jersey native posted a 4.50 ERA in 68 innings of work. In 17 appearances, 14 of which were starts, Conover struck out 83 batters. He proved to be a reliable arm as Rutgers had one of its best seasons in recent memory.

While Conover will join a new organization, he will have a familiar face to lean on in teammate Ryan Lasko who Oakland selected with the 41st pick in the draft.

“It’s awesome. I’m excited. Ready to get to work,” Conover told NJ Advance Media after he was selected. “Sticking together, like once you develop a friendship being teammates, it’s good to carry that on to the next level.”

Before transferring to Rutgers last season, Conover began his collegiate career at Seton Hall. He appeared in 23 games for the Pirates and posted a 2-2 record. In 41.1 innings, opponents hit .240 against him. After his time with the Pirates ended, he took his game to another level in Piscataway.

For Rutgers, Conover was a Third-Team All-Big Ten selection. That was partly due to the fact that he held opponents to a .197 batting average while only allowing two home runs. He will be looking to carry that success to the next level.

Over the last few days, the A’s have given many in Piscataway a reason to celebrate. As Conover and Lasko prepare to begin their professional careers, they will be watched closely as Rutgers fans worldwide root for their success.

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Which Scarlet Knight got ranked in the Top 100 College Prospects for the 2023 MLB Draft?

Rutgers outfielder Ryan Lasko is ranked among the 2023 Top 100 College Prospects heading into this year’s MLB Draft.

Outfielder Ryan Lasko is ranked among the 2023 Top 100 College Prospects heading into this year’s MLB Draft.

The 2023 MLB Draft is underway on Sunday, with day one including the first 70 selections, covering rounds one and two. According to Prospect Live, the Rutgers outfielder is ranked the No. 78 prospect in this year’s draft. Also, Lasko got ranked No. 89 in MLB’s Top 2023 Prospect Rankings, according to MLB.com.

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The New Jersey native from Jackson has made an immediate impact with the Scarlet Knights. Lasko has grown into one of the top outfielders in the nation since he joined the Scarlet Knights in 2021. With three years with Rutgers, Lasko developed into a top MLB prospect. He is a run producer with solid power. Also, he has a strong arm and can cover ground in the outfield with great instincts.

The 6-foot 190 pounds prospect has a career batting average of .314 with Rutgers baseball. In 156 games played, Lasko recorded 201 hits, 47 doubles, 38 home runs, 135 RBIs, and 120 strikeouts. Lasko received All-Big Ten First Team honors in 2022 and 2023. Also, he tied Rutgers’ single-season doubles record (24) in 2022.

All signs point to Lasko being taken on Monday with a third-round projection. Lasko is projected to be the first Scarlet Knight off the board, with right-handed pitcher Drew Conover behind him. Conover is ranked the No. 247 (Prosect Live) and No. 220 (MLB.com) prospect in this year’s draft.

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Rutgers sweeps Penn State in convincing fashion

Rutgers baseball swept Penn State over the weekend.

With the regular season winding down, Rutgers swept Penn State in dominating fashion this past weekend. The Scarlet Knights welcomed the Nittany Lions to Piscataway and outscored them 26-3 in three games. As Rutgers improved to 11-7 in Big Ten play, there were plenty of memorable moments.

On Friday, Rutgers started the series with an 8-1 win which included a grand slam from Chris Brito. Penn State could not stop Rutgers offense as four players, including Andy Axelson, Ryan Lasko, Cameron Love, and Brito, had multiple hits. It was only the start of a big weekend for the Scarlet Knights offense.

Their success continued on Saturday with a 10-0 win. Evan Sleight and Trevor Cohen combined to drive in four runs, and every starter except for Cameron Love had a hit. Rutgers continued to get dominating pitching as Drew Conover and Grant Besser struck out 12 Penn State batters while not allowing a run.

In the series finale, the Scarlet Knights did not hold back on their way to an 8-2 win. Cameron Love drove in two runs, and Rutgers got on the board early with five runs in the first inning. Chris Brito also continued to swing a hot bat with his second home run of the series. Over the weekend, the Scarlet Knights scored 11 runs in the first inning.

Due to their success, the Scarlet Knights are now the third-best team in the Big Ten. With the regular season winding down, conference wins are at a premium, with every team looking to improve their postseason positioning. After taking care of business convincingly, the Scarlet Knights will shift their focus to their series against Illinois, which starts on Friday.

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Where does Rutgers baseball rank among Big Ten teams?

After winning their last nine out of eleven games, where do the Scarlet Knights fall in the overall Big Ten statistics?

After winning their last nine out of eleven games, Rutgers baseball has a record of 12-9 as they prepare to face their second game against former Big East rival UConn. Before they start their Big Ten Conference games on March 31st against Michigan State, where do the Scarlet Knights stand in the Big Ten?

The Iowa Hawkeyes are the Big Ten conference leader with a 16-3 record and a six-game winning streak. Before their matchup against UConn, the Scarlet Knights were eighth in the Big Ten standings. Where do the Scarlet Knights fall in the overall Big Ten statistics?

Hitting

On Friday, the Scarlet Knights are ranked third in the Big Ten in batting average with a .298 team average. The Scarlet Knights have several players in the top ten among Big Ten hitting categories. Rutgers freshman Trevor Cohen is eighth in runs scored with 21 and fifth in hits with 32. Cohen isn’t the only Scarlet Knight ranked top ten in hits, as Rutgers second baseman Cameron Love is sixth with 29 hits. Along with Love, Rutgers outfielder Evan Sleight is tied ninth in doubles with seven.

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Rutgers shortstop Josh Kuroda-Grauer, outfielder Ryan Lasko, and infielder Jordan Sweeney are other Scarlet Knights at the top of the leaderboard. Kuroda-Grauer is tied first with three triples, and Lasko is tied seventh in walks with 16. Sweeney is the only Scarlet Knight in the RBIs category, ranking eighth with 20 RBIs. The Rutgers infielder is the number one leader in sacrifice flies with five.

Pitching

The Scarlet Knights have three leaders ranked in the top ten in three pitching categories. Rutgers right-handed starter Drew Conover is tied for eighth in strikeouts with 30 and tied for second in strikeouts looking (12). Rutgers’ closer Ben Gorski is tied for second with three saves.

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As Rutgers approaches their first Big Ten Conference game, look for these players to lead the way for the Scarlet Knights.

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Rutgers baseball struggles in the Swig and Swine College Classic

Rutgers baseball struggled at the Swig and Swin Classic in South Carolina, dropping two of three games over the weekend.

Rutgers baseball is struggling to start the season, the Scarlet Knights going 1-2 at the Swig and Swine Classic in South Carolina.

Rutgers, fresh off a second-place finish in the Big Ten last year, is now 2-4 on the season.

Against George Mason, right-handed pitcher Drew Conover received the nod for the Scarlet Knights. Conover was dominant, holding the Patriots scoreless over six innings in a 5-4 extra innings win. Drew finished the day with 6.0 innings, three hits, no runs, no walks, and seven strikeouts.

With the game tied in the 10th inning, George Mason would provide a go-ahead single for a 4-3 lead. The Scarlet Knights battled back in the bottom of the inning, with infielder Cameron Love leading off with an infield single. The Scarlet Knights played small ball, bunting Love to second. With the tieing run at second base,  Hugh Pinkney came in clutch, hitting a triple to tie the game. With only one out in the bottom of the inning, Chris Brito walked off the game with a sac fly to center, giving the Scarlet Knights the victory.

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After their thrilling victory on Friday, Rutgers returned to action on Saturday against Ball State. The Scarlet Knights and the Cardinals battled it out, with the Cardinals pulling out a 5-4 victory. The Scarlet Knights led the game 4-2 going into the seventh until they lost the lead. The Scarlet Knights left eight runners on the base path in the loss.

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In the finale of the Swig and Swine Classic on Sunday, Rutgers baseball fell to Boston College by a score of 6-4. The Scarlet Knights jumped out to an early 2-1 lead, but the Eagles were able to battle back to lead the rest of the way. Rutgers combined for 10 hits but left eight runners on the base path.

Due to the weather, Rutgers’ home opener against St. Joe’s was moved from tomorrow (02/28/23) to Wednesday (03/01/23) at 3 p.m.