Drafted in the 13th round (397th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2010.
View Draft Report
Northern Iowa may have dropped baseball after the 2009 season, but the program lives on with Lucas O'Rear. He's better known as the two-time Missouri Valley Conference sixth man of the year and one of the players who helped key the Panthers' upset of top-seeded Kansas in the NCAA basketball tournament, but he attended a Perfect Game predraft showcase in mid-May. He hopes to get drafted this June, play his senior season of basketball and then become a full-time pitcher. Interestingly, he almost transferred to Kansas to continue playing both sports before deciding to remain with the Panthers. A 6-foot-6, 255-pound righthander, O'Rear threw an 89-93 mph fastball with little effort and flashed a low-80s slider in 17 innings for Northern Iowa in 2009. His velocity was down slightly at the showcase, understandable considering his layoff from baseball.
Download our app
Read the newest magazine issue right on your phone