Notre Dame baseball lands Butler transfer pitcher Derek Drees
Notre Dame baseball’s season isn’t over just yet, but the Irish have already added a transfer pitcher ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Butler right-handed pitcher Derek Drees will transfer to Notre Dame next year to exhaust his fourth and final year of NCAA eligibility. The 6-6, 235-pound reliever made the announcement on Twitter on Thursday.
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“I want to thank (Butler baseball) for everything over the last 4 years. I couldn’t have asked for better teammates and coaches,” Drees tweeted. “For this upcoming season, I will be using my last year of eligibility to play for the University of Notre Dame. #GoIrish”
Drees posted a 4-3 record and 1.27 ERA over 35.1 innings pitched in 2022. He made a total of 17 appearances with two starts. The righty allowed 12 runs, only five of which were earned, struck out 46 batters and walked 21.
Butler finished the 2022 season 20-35-1 and went 4-16-1 in conference play. The Bulldogs traveled to Notre Dame on April 5 of this year, and the Irish took home a 5-2 victory. Drees did not pitch in the mid-week game.
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Drees was the No. 29 player and No. 14 pitcher out of the state of Minnesota in the 2017 class, per Perfect Game. He attended St. Louis Park (Minn.) Benilde-St. Margaret’s.
A senior-heavy Irish team in 2022 could use a veteran next year, although it remains to be determined how many players will stick around. On May 14, Notre Dame celebrated seven senior or graduate student pitchers, four of whom were relievers in 2022 as Drees largely appears to be. Several seniors on the team are eligible for a fifth year since they were given a blanket waiver in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before the Irish turn their attention toward next season, they have a postseason to finish. Notre Dame plays No. 1 overall NCAA Tournament seed Tennessee in a Super Regional in Knoxville, Tenn. this weekend for a best-of-three series. The winner will head to Omaha, Neb. for the College World Series.
Game 1 begins at 6 p.m. ET on Friday on ESPN2.
