Drew Rerick/Photo by Noah Clooten
Fargo Davies right-hander Drew Rerick has pulled out of the 2024 MLB draft, Dom Izzo of WDAY reported while the eighth-round selections were being announced on Monday.
Before the draft, Rerick was ranked as the No. 140 draft prospect by MLB Pipeline. He was projected to be picked around the fifth round, which would have made him the highest-drafted North Dakotan baseball player out of high school in the state’s history.
According to Izzo, Rerick had a set signing number that he wasn’t going to go below. The money he would make from NIL at the University of Texas was above what some MLB teams had left in their signing pool, so he opted to withdraw from the draft once it commenced long enough without his name being called.
No North Dakotan baseball player has ever been picked in the first 11 rounds of the MLB draft directly out of high school. Jamestown High School alum Darin Erstad was picked first overall in the 1995 MLB draft, but only after playing for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Rerick was Gatorade’s North Dakota Player of the Year in 2024. He features a mid-90s fastball that has been reported to reach 98 mph. He’s also shown a strong feel for a curveball, slider and changeup.
Rerick pitched against the Devils Lake High School varsity team in Devils Lake on May 14. He held the Firebirds scoreless over 7 2/3 innings, striking out 14. It was a battle that saw Mason Palmer trade zeros with him through regulation.
He has some Devils Lake connections, too. His mom and grandparents are from Edmore, and his cousin Will Heilman plays baseball for Devils Lake. His father Michael pitched for the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University. Michael is tied for the most single-game strikeouts in Division II history with 21 for NDSU in 1996.
Drew was originally committed to Texas A&M University, months before the draft. Following the Aggies’ loss in the College World Series finals, head coach Jim Schlossnagle was announced as the new head coach of Texas baseball. Shortly thereafter, Rerick flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to Texas, following Schlossnagle to his new destination.
Rerick announced his commitment to Texas on Friday, mere days before the draft.
In an interview with Devils Lake Journal writer Mojo Hill back in May, Rerick said he viewed his situation as a win-win scenario — either he’d go to a top-tier college baseball program, or he’d enter the professional ranks right away. He’ll be joining a Texas team that went 36-24 overall this past season and 20-10 in Big 12 games. The Longhorns were eliminated in the College Station Regional.
Rerick, 18, will next be eligible for the MLB draft in 2027 after he uses three years of collegiate eligibility.
