Greg Dosch watched Drew Dosch begin to pursue his dream of playing professional baseball starting at just 4 years old. At theDosch’s home on Friday, that dream came true.
Drew Dosch, a junior at Youngstown State University, was selected Friday in the seventh round, 219th overall by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft.
Drew Dosch was at home Friday with his two parents, brother and sister when his name scrolled across the TV screen.
“It was such an honor to share the moment with my family, and it was such a great feeling to look at Dad and finally say we did it,” DrewDosch said. “My dream definitely came true that day.”
With this selection, Drew Dosch, YSU’s starting third baseman for past three seasons, became the 19th player in YSU history to be selected in the MLB draft. He is also the highest selected since pitcher Justin Thomas was taken in the fourth round in 2005 by the Seattle Mariners.
Going into the draft, Drew Dosch said he had no expectations of where he would be selected.
“Obviously — with my knee injury the last week of the season and having reconstructive knee surgery three days before the draft — I understood that there was a risk for teams to look at taking me,” he said.
Drew Dosch injured his right knee, tearing his ACL and separating his LCL from the bone, on May 17, during the second game of the final series of the season against Valparaiso University. The injury happened on a routine play at first base. He missed the remainder of the season and the Horizon League tournament.
“The doctor seems to be optimistic that by the end of the calendar year, which is about six months from the surgery, I will be about 100 percent back on the baseball field like I was the day before I got hurt,” Drew Dosch said.
Since he is only a junior, Drew Dosch has the option of signing a contract with the Orioles or returning to YSU for his senior year.
“Playing professional baseball has always been a dream of mine, but, obviously, until there is a deal made, you can’t rule anything out,” he said.
Phil Lipari, Drew Dosch’s teammate and third year shortstop for YSU, knows first hand the work Drew Dosch has put in to his dream.
“Drew is always the first person there and the last one to leave. He puts in more work than anyone else,” Lipari said. “He is a great guy. Anything you need, he would do for you.”
Drew Dosch said he hopes that getting drafted by Baltimore leaves an impact for the future for YSU baseball.
“You can come here to a school like Youngstown. If you put in the hard work and grind, then you can pursue that dream you have had since you were a little kid,” he said.
Drew Dosch’s father Greg Dosch has had the opportunity to watch his son every step of the way in following his dream and being drafted by the Orioles.
“I couldn’t be any more excited,” Greg Dosch said. “He started playing T-ball when he was 4, then we got into the travel scene when he was about 8, and it’s just been his lifelong dream to be a major league baseball player.”
Greg Dosch said he is also proud of his son for the accomplishments he has made in the classroom. Drew Doschcurrently has a 3.96 GPA and is a secondary social studies education major.
“The biggest thing is that Drew is a great student with his GPA, so if he does choose the baseball route, we’re not at all worried about him going back and getting his degree at some point,” Greg Dosch said.
Rich Pasquale, YSU’s baseball manager from 2007 to 2012, recruited Drew Dosch to play for YSU in 2011.
“It’s someone that definitely deserves everything he gets. When you get to know him and his family, you know he was the right guy to make our program go to the next level,” Pasquale said.
Greg Dosch said he is excited about the opportunity his son now has following his dream of playing professional baseball.
“It’s been a dream of his for as long as we can remember just a combination of a lot of hard work,” said Greg Dosch.