Orion Kerkering was selected in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
TAMPA (July 18, 2022) – University of South Florida right-handed pitcher Orion Kerkering (Venice) was selected in the fifth round of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday afternoon. Kerkering was drafted with the 152nd overall pick.
Kerkering becomes the 128th player drafted out of the University of South Florida. He joins RHP Carson Ragsdale, who was drafted out of USF in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, in the Phillies organization.
In 129.2 IP over three seasons at South Florida, Kerkering totaled 167 strikeouts. In 2022, his 91 punchouts over 67.2 IP ranked third in the American Athletic Conference and he led the league in batters struck out looking (32). Kerkering ranked 32nd in the NCAA this season in strikeouts/9-innings pitched (12.10) and 56th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.79), while issuing only 19 free passes.
A dominant closer during the Bulls’ 2021 historic postseason run, Kerkering split time between the bullpen and starting rotation in 2022. Kerkering went 5-3 with five saves, a 2.88 ERA and 62 strikeouts over 50.0 IP while limiting opponents to a .205 batting average in 2021. He was the winning pitcher for USF in the Gainesville Regional championship that season against South Alabama which punched the Bulls’ ticket to the program’s first-ever Super Regional.
Kerkering struck out at least eight batters in five of his 10 starts in 2022, including a career-high 10 strikeouts against Brown on March 6th. He was named the AAC Pitcher of the Week following an eight-strikeout performance when he allowed one run on two hits with zero walks over a career-high 7.0 IP against Niagara on March 25th.
Over 52 career appearances (11 starts) at USF, Kekering owned a 10-11 record with nine saves and 4.79 ERA.
About USF Baseball
The USF Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and is entering its 58th season in 2023 under head coach Billy Mohl (sixth season). The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four since 2015, and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. USF was ranked in the Top 25 by five different publications in the final 2021 polls, checking in as high as No. 16. The Bulls have won five conference tournament titles (3 Sun Belt, 1 Metro and 1 American) and six regular season championships (3 Sun Belt, 2 Metro and 1 C-USA). USF baseball players have been recognized with All-America honors 12 times, most recently with third baseman David Villar in 2018, and 18 have earned Freshman All-America accolades, most recently Drew Brutcher and Carmine Lane in 2021. Four players were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft, including the program’s fourth first-round selection in pitcher Shane McClanahan, who became the program’s first-ever MLB All-Star in 2022.
– #GoBulls –
