Orion Kerkering drafted by Philadelphia Phillies
On day two of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft, the Philadelphia Phillies selected redshirt sophomore pitcher Orion Kerkering.
In the fifth round as the 152nd pick, Kerkering became the first Bull in 2022 to be claimed by the big leagues and the 128th in South Florida history.
While at USF, Kerkering put in the work on the mound over the course of three years. He pitched 129.1 innings with 167 strikeouts, two of those years being a regular closer and his final year working in the starting rotation.
Kerkering was a key asset during South Florida’s 2021 postseason run, where he showcased some of his most dominant pitching. As a closer, he claimed the win against South Alabama in the Gainesville Regional final to lead the Bulls to its first Super Regional.
The Bull was ranked third in the AAC for the 2022 season, with 91 strikeouts in 67.2 innings pitched along with leading the conference in batters struck out looking. Kerkering held the 32nd ranking in NCAA pitching as well.
This prospect made a valuable contribution to the Bulls rotation and bullpen and will continue to do so as he takes his first steps into his professional career.
More Stories
USF men’s basketball rounds up roster with latest commits
USF men’s basketball officially has a full house, finalizing its revamped roster with all 15 scholarship spots now filled. New head coach Bryan Hodgson has wasted no time building a new roster. After Hodgson was hired in March, he began his tenure by securing three high school recruits and five players out of the transfer […]
USF beach volleyball balances summer training away from campus
In the summertime, while some USF students are having fun in the sun, athletes don’t stop their training. USF beach volleyball players Morgan Anderson and Sasha Pasloski know all too well what goes into a Division I athlete’s summer routine. Although the Bulls won’t play their inaugural season until the spring, they have been preparing […]
Kelly says USF will be an ‘aggressive’ House v. NCAA settlement adopter
As the House v. NCAA settlement reshapes the financial architecture of college sports, outgoing USF athletic director Michael Kelly said the university plans to be among its “most aggressive” adopters. The settlement, finalized on June 6, allows schools to directly pay athletes for the first time, with a national cap set at $20.5 million per […]
USF races into NCAA history with relay title
USF track and field had ventured over 3,000 miles to compete in the NCAA outdoor national championships in Eugene, Oregon. With the lights high on Saturday evening, four men in black and green stepped onto the track with program history within reach. The Bulls’ men’s 4×400 relay team contended for a national title in the […]
Michael Kelly leaves USF with legacy of growth amongst change
Michael Kelly navigated a turbulent yet prosperous time in his eight-year tenure as USF’s athletic director, culminating in the genesis of one of the biggest developments in university history. Kelly, 54, made a lateral move to intraconference for Navy on June 4, becoming the school’s third civilian athletic director. Kelly oversaw significant advancements in USF’s […]
USF’s Vincent Ugwoke chases NCAA glory
Vincent Ugwoke stepped off a plane into a snowstorm just after midnight in Concordia, Kansas, in 2022. He’d just flown over 6,000 miles to the U.S. from Nsukka, Nigeria — alone and carrying nothing but a bag full of clothes made for the wrong weather. Three years later, the senior is one of the […]