Youngstown State junior third baseman Drew Dosch was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the seventh round of the 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Friday afternoon.
Dosch, a First-Team All-Horizon League and Second-Team Academic All-America selection in each of the past two seasons, becomes the 10th Youngstown State player to be selected in the MLB Draft since 1999 and the fourth Penguin to be taken in the last four years.
Dosch, the 219th overall selection, becomes the highest YSU draft selection since pitcher Justin Thomas was taken in the fourth round in 2005. The third baseman is the highest position player from Youngstown State to be selected since outfielder Chris Durkin was taken in the third round in 1991. Dosch is also one of five Horizon League position players since 2002 to be taken in the top 15 rounds.
"We are very excited and happy for Drew," YSU head coach Steve Gillispie said. "This shows how dedication and hard work can fulfill lifelong dreams. Drew has been an exemplary student-athlete during his time at YSU, and I'm sure the Orioles are ecstatic to select someone with such class and high character."
Dosch, a native of Canal Winchester, Ohio, was named the top professional prospect in the Horizon League prior to his junior year and was the consensus preseason player of the year in the conference. He led the league with a .434 on-base percentage and a .922 OPS while also ranking among the top five with a .338 batting average, 40 runs, 68 hits, .488 slugging percentage and 15 doubles. Dosch was even better during Horizon League play when he batted .372 with a .477 slugging percentage and a .447 on-base percentage. He ended his season on a 12-game hitting streak over which he batted .422.
Dosch caught the eye of scouts in 2012 as a First-Team All-Horizon League selection and as a starting designated hitter in the Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star Game. He hit .353 with eight home runs and a .527 slugging percentage at YSU his sophomore year, a tremendous improvement from his freshman season when he hit .262 without a home run. Dosch then ranked second in the Cape Cod in hits and doubles while also ranking in the top 10 in home runs, RBIs, batting average and slugging percentage.
He showed a tremendous approach and knowledge of the strike zone throughout his career with 73 walks and 63 strikeouts to his credit in three years. As a junior, he drew 36 walks while striking out just 25 times. Dosch increased his on-base percentage, doubles, runs scored and fielding percentage each season on campus.
Off the field, Dosch became the second Penguin in school history to earn Academic All-America honors twice in a career. He finished his junior year at Youngstown State with a 3.96 grade-point average as an integrated social studies education major.
A 2010 graduate of Canal Winchester High, Dosch earned All-Ohio honors as both an infielder and pitcher during his prep career. He batted .524 with 121 RBIs, 46 doubles and eight home runs while striking out just six times in his career. Dosch ended his high school days ranking 11th in Ohio history in batting average and 18th in hits.
