Peterson to head to MLB draft
Sam Houston could once again hear its name called in the next rendition of the Major League Baseball Draft.
Ryan Peterson, who has pitched for Sam Houston for the past three years, is slated to be a top-100 pick. Peterson became the Bearkats' Friday night arm for two seasons in CUSA play, and started his career by throwing an immaculate inning.
With the draft set for this weekend, Peterson has moved up the charts and is the 86th-ranked prospect, according to MLB.com's prospect rankings.
During his three years with Sam Houston, Peterson made 43 appearances on the bump. As a freshman, Peterson made 14 appearances with three starts. His first start for Sam Houston was a midweek game against Rice, where he threw an immaculate inning.
Following a strong freshman campaign, Peterson became the Bearkats' Friday night arm as a sophomore. While that season is certainly one anybody would like to forget, Peterson was one of the lone bright spots during the 12-win season.
Peterson started 14 games for Sam Houston, mostly as the Friday night arm, but was also used on Saturdays towards the end of Conference USA play. He tossed 73 innings and held a 2-9 record. His ERA was a team low 6.29, which was his lone season above 3.9.
The junior bounced back with the lowest ERA in his junior season with a 3.38. As a junior, Peterson struck out 105 batters, which landed him in the top-50 of strikeouts in all of college baseball. He did that in 88 innings of work.
Peterson brings an elite curveball to the stand and could become the highest-drafted pitcher from Sam Houston. Should he go before the 84th pick, it would be the highest drafted pitcher since Kevin Renz in 1984.
Sam Houston has seen two draft picks go inside the first round since the 2021 draft.
The Baltimore Orioles selected Colton Cowser with the 5th overall pick in the 2021 draft, and the Houston Astros selected Walker Janek with the 28th overall pick in the 2024 draft.
The MLB Draft will open on Saturday with the first four rounds, with the first 10 picks airing on Peacock. Rounds 5-20 will be held on Sunday and aired on MLB.com, MLB TV and MLB+.
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This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 2:31 PM.