To go to college or turn pro? That's the question for this local baseball prospect
Joshua’s Connery Peters doesn’t answer phone calls when it’s an unfamiliar number.
But something told him to pick it up when someone from Los Angeles called him on June 6.
It was a front office member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They selected the Owls RHP in the 38th round of the MLB Draft.
“I was at a friend’s house playing MLB The Show,” Peters said. “I got the call from a Los Angeles area code. It was someone in the front office. I don’t remember his name since the whole night was a blur as soon as he said I was drafted.”
It came as a shock because Peters knew what his decision was going forward.
“I had talked to a few teams who had a lot of interest in me, but a week before the draft I called them and said I wanted to go to college and improve my game,” Peters said.
Peters will be attending Wichita State. He will be draft eligible again as a junior.
“If all goes well and I stay healthy then no doubt,” he said. “Wichita State lost a lot of players during the draft so hopefully I can help fill in innings.”
Peters, who has been playing since he was four, and pitching since nine, said the lessons from college will only help him mature.
“The coaching I would get from them would be irreplaceable,” Peters said. “They would help me mature as a player and as a person. They would give me the tools to be successful at the collegiate and pro level.”
Peters, who was voted District 9-5A Pitcher of the Year this season, was born and raised in Fort Worth until moving to Joshua in middle school.
He grew up a Texas Rangers fan and loves Washington RHP Max Scherzer.
The Owls finished third in 9-5A, but went to the regional semifinals for the first time in program history. They lost in three games to Forney, the 5A state runner-up.
“It was a crazy season,” Peters said. “It took a lot of work, but our coaches set the example with how hard they worked and we followed them. It went by so quick thinking back on it.”
Peters went 9-3 with a 0.85 ERA and recorded 112 strikeouts in 71 innings. He also hit two home runs with 16 RBIs.
He was named to the second team Star-Telegram baseball all-star team.
This story was originally published June 13, 2018 at 8:30 AM with the headline "To go to college or turn pro? That's the question for this local baseball prospect."