Oerther Thrilled To ‘Live My Dream’ Of Playing College Baseball

Drew Oerther LHP / 1B / Loveland, OH / 2026

LOVELAND - When 13 schools reached out on Aug. 1, Drew Oerther admits it wasn’t easy.

“That was really stressful,” the Loveland High School junior said. “I was talking to different people and figuring out which I liked. There were others that I wanted that I had to accept weren’t going to reach out.”

When it was all said and done, Kent State proved to be the best fit for the fourth-rated 2026 left-handed pitcher in Ohio.

“Zeke Pinkham originally came to watch me in Georgia when he was with Georgia Tech, but then he signed with Kent State,” reflected Oerther, referring to the new recruiting coordinator with the Golden Flashes. “On Aug. 1 he called me with Kent. We had a great conversation. We talked about what they do as a program.

“They’re probably the school that stayed in contact with me the most, which I like,” the 17-year-old continued. “After the third or fourth call we scheduled a visit. I went on a visit and they offered, but I didn’t want to rush into it. I wanted to see who wanted me with the other schools. I’m thinking I’ll commit to Kent, but I wanted an answer from other schools so I reached out to them to be straight and honest with me. In the end I found that Kent State was the best for me.”

A lot stood out about his visit to the Mid-American Conference university located 31/2 hours from home.

“I really like the campus and the downtown is nice,” noted Oerther. “I also liked that during my meeting all of the coaches were there talking about how I can improve and what they use to get everyone else better.

“They have a room that shows all of their draft picks,” the 18th-ranked junior in the state added. “It’s a program with a great history. I think that’s why it’s right for me.”

Kent State found the 6-0 205-pounder to be a good match for the program.

“They like how I’m a developed pitcher, not exactly a thrower,” explained Oerther, who also had an offer from Toledo and interest from Xavier, Ohio State, Cincinnati and South Carolina. “There are guys that throw 95 but can they get outs? I have four pitches I can throw for a strike in almost any count. That’s what they like about me.”

The idea of playing at the next level started at the age of 10.

“Baseball has always been a dream of mine,” Oerther said. “I always wanted to go to college and become a lawyer. Now professional baseball is the goal.”

Pitching in college became realistic not long ago in the eyes of the Loveland junior.

“Going into my freshman year I started playing better players and I took a step up,” Oerther noted. “It really hit me this past year that I can do this at the Division I level.”

Participating in the Future Games really “kicked off” his recruitment according to Oerther.

“Every single school I talked to saw me at the Future Games,” Oerther said. “That was the biggest help. There were 13 schools that reached out. That was really stressful talking to different people and figuring out which I liked.”

Getting better as a pitcher helped make it all possible.

“This was my biggest year of improvement,” Oerther said. “I grew and got stronger as a person and learned how to pitch. I got stronger physically and velocity came with my growth.”

The opportunity to play early on was a big part of his decision to go to Kent State.

“I think I can make an impact right away as a starter and right away make us win more,” the southpaw pointed out. “I think I can develop while I’m playing. That’s what they said.”

In addition to Pinkham, he credited his parents, Brad and Ella Oerther, USA Prime coaches Marc Nellist, Nick Pou and Eli Autry, personal coach Scott Bray and high school coach Ryne Terry with playing important roles in his baseball journey while thanking Kent State head coach Jeff Duncan and his staff for making his dream a reality.

“This is really exciting,” Oerther related. “It’s everything I wanted. When I committed, it was the most exciting thing ever. I was with friends at a BW and I texted Zeke and said can you call me tomorrow and he said ‘I’m free right now.’ I went outside and when I came in everyone was cheering.”

A major in political science with finance as a backup plan is what Oerther sees for his future.

“I’m excited about the lawyer thing,” concluded Oerther, who carries a 3.7 GPA at Loveland. “I take school seriously and I’m excited about getting an education and maybe becoming a lawyer. I’m also excited to live my dream of playing college baseball. I can’t be more excited for this.”